


Let It Fly

by Atchamb7



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sports, College, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Lacrosse, Light Angst, Meet-Cute, Mild Language, Romance, Slow Burn, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, getting more serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-05-20 04:10:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 41,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14887367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atchamb7/pseuds/Atchamb7
Summary: Ben Solo, a senior at Imperial University, and Rey a sophomore at Jakku College are lacrosse players that have a destiny written in the stars. Ben was shipped off to boarding school at a young age and excelled at lacrosse over the years making him a captain in his senior year, while Rey struggled through high school but found lacrosse and was naturally gifted at it from the start… The two meet at a tournament in Coruscant and it starts a journey neither of them ever thought they'd get.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing anything! Be gentle, but I hope you enjoy also. Thanks to Robyn and Heather for being awesome betas and helping me on this journey!

* * *

 

“You need a teacher” Rey heard as she was practicing shots on the off-field after her first game of the tournament.

She looked over her shoulder to see a male lacrosse player walking up behind her. His hair was raven black and rested just past his chin, his eyes intense and focused solely on her.

“Excuse me?” Rey asked, insulted by a random male lacrosse player telling her what to do.

“I can show you how to better that shot, make it cleaner, and harder for the goalie to stop.”

Rey decided to play along.

“Okay, and how could I do that?” she asked in her most flirty, curious tone.

It clearly worked because the guy almost smiled at her acceptance of his challenge.

He walked over to the goal and stood in it, telling her to come at him and shoot. Typically Rey would not have felt comfortable shooting at a player standing in the goal that wasn’t a goalie, but this guy had stirred her competitive spirit and was straight up asking for it.

She ran up to goal like she was going to shoot and shot one off to his right side near his hip.

He surprised her with his fast reflexes and stopped the ball.

“Do it again.” He said.

This time she went for a bounce shot hoping he’d want to protect his shins. Instead, he stepped in front of it and took the shot to the shin.  
Rey grunted and turned around grabbing another ball. Her eyebrow was furrowed and she growled as she prepared another shot.

“Try a corner this time.” He said.

This idea made Rey pause. She’d always been nervous of her corner shots because of the close proximity to the goalie’s head and stick, but she still persisted.

She ran toward the goal, crossing in front of him and firing a shot into the right corner over his shoulder.

“Yes!” He cheered for her. “See, you girls have to shoot at such close proximity that the top corners are the most dangerous when done correctly.” He continued, “now I want you to do the same shot but at my left shoulder.”

Rey swallowed hard, took a deep breath and grabbed a ball. She took a powerful starting stance, and charged to the goal, firing the ball over his off-shoulder.

This continued for a few more minutes and he hadn’t stopped anymore of Rey’s shots. Rey was getting the ball past him on every shot, and not just in the corners. Her shots were faster, more crisp, and placed with precision every time.

‘ _She’s a natural_ ’ Ben thought as he stood there trying to catch his breath.

He had no words for this female lacrosse player. He now looked at her in admiration.

The change in his eyes was not lost on Rey. Instead of looking intense, they had softened, almost to a look of longing, which was not a look she got often. She smirked at the thought as she picked up the ball on the ground, facing away from him. She turned and walked up to him with a ball in her stick.He met her in the middle, and she popped the ball to him,

“Thanks for the lesson,” she said, the smirk still lingering on her face as she turned to walk away.

“Anytime,” he breathed out.

He cocked his head as she walked away, noticing there was a sway in her hips.

‘ _Cocky little thing_ ’ he thought. He liked it.

***

Before Ben’s next game he zoned out while stretching, thinking about the first moment he set eyes on this unique girl:

_Ben had just arrived to the fields when he saw this girl wrapping her wrists, and putting her goggles on over a unique, three bun hairstyle. She looked strong, yet almost too dainty to be player at this level of the sport. She glanced to the side, giving him a shot of the sun in her eyes, reflecting a gorgeous hazel his way. Her skin was golden, almost glowing under her white uniform. Something on the jersey caught his eye: Takodana. ‘Shit, This may be a problem,’ but also an opportunity that he found himself not wanting to pass up. This girl could be worth the trouble he felt in his gut._

***

After his second game of the day, Ben found himself heading for the vendor tent with his little spitfire on his mind. As he walked past the fields, he looked for Takodana but didn’t see them playing. Many of the games had a well-scheduled gap in their playing time allowing for a lunch break.

Ben stepped inside of the shaded area and his eyes took a second to adjust. Once they did, he started walking past the sock, stick, and t shirt vendors, heading for the food and tables.

It was then that he saw her. She appeared to be sitting alone, no one yet at her table.

‘ _Perfect_ ’ Ben thought.

Approaching her, he noticed that his heart began to race. He felt ridiculous letting his emotions get the better of him. He pushed down the nervousness and walked up to her table.

“Anyone sitting here?”

***

The girls had just finished their second game of the day when they headed into the vendor tent. Rey was excited to have this break to cool down, eat some lunch, drink some water, and just chill. Their next game wasn’t until 2, so they’d have at least till 1 to enjoy their break.  
Rey grabbed a table as Jess and Rose went over to get a burrito from the vendor that was quickly becoming one of the most popular of the tournament. Rey chose a cold sandwich with apple and bag of chips instead, not wanting something so heavy for the first day of their tournament. She was just opening her lunch container when a voice startled her.

“Anyone sitting here?” He asked, not waiting for an answer before he sat down beside her.

Rey jumped. “Shit, you scared me,” she said. “Don’t you ever spend time with your own team?” Rey asked.

He chuckled at the comment. “Yeah I’ve spent all morning on the field with them,” he said, “don’t you ever spend time with your team?” He teased. “You always seem to be alone when I run into you.”

Rey rolled her eyes at the remark. Too tired and brain-fried from her games that morning to respond.

“So..." He started speaking again, “want to meet on the off-field again before your next game? You know, so you are properly prepared.”

“Sure,” Rey responded, “if you’re okay with getting your ass handed to you again.”

“Oh really,” He responded, continuing his own game, “and what if I let you score those shots to boost your confidence and help you improve your game? Hm... maybe you could do it the whole time and you just needed that extra boost.”

“Well in that case,” Rey responded, leaning in closer to him, “then I’d say thank you, but I won’t need your extra practice, since I am already so talented.” Rey was smirking up at him, looking into his dark brown eyes.

He looked down on her, noticing many new details in her face, the hazel eyes with golden flecks, the freckles covering her nose and cheeks, the adorable dimples, and lastly the pink lips that made his mind wander to places it rarely had, especially so quickly after meeting a girl.

Jess and Rose were returning from getting their burritos when they saw this tall, dark, and handsome man leaning toward their best friend, teammate, and captain. They exchanged a quick, but knowing glance that spoke for itself. As they approached the table, they noticed that this stranger was very focused on Rey, as if she was the only person in the world. The moment almost seemed intimate between the two, but the girls were too curious to not break it up.

As Jess walked up to the table, she cleared her throat, snapping Rey back to reality and glancing away from his stare with a blush on her cheeks. He caught this and smiled to himself, knowing she’d been embarrassed by being caught.

Jess and Rose sat down across from him and Rey when Jess extended a hand out to him.

“Hi, I’m Jessica.”

He shook her hand.

“Rose”

He smiled and shook her hand as well.

Before Ben could respond, he was being patted on the back.  
Finn and Poe were standing behind Ben, Poe’s hand still resting on his shoulder.

“So is this the official hotspot of the tournament?” Poe asked, sitting down across from Jess, while Finn sat next to Rose.

The boys introduced themselves to Jessika and Rose.

Ben and Rey continued to converse amongst themselves as Finn, Rose, Poe, and Jessika got acquainted.

“So are you girls new to Imperial’s team?” Poe asked cluelessly.

Rey stopped mid-sentence from her conversation with tall,dark, and handsome and looked at Poe with the same dumbfounded expression her teammates were giving him.

“What?” Poe asked, still clueless of his ignorance.

It was Ben that addressed the obvious.

“They’re wearing fucking Takodana uniforms, Dameron.”

Ben squeezed the bridge of his nose before he looked back to Rey, who was now getting up from her seat along with her teammates.

Surprisingly, Rose was the one who spoke next, “We have more respect for the game than that. We wouldn’t be caught dead on Imperial’s team.”

The girls walked out of the vendor tent, heading back to their team’s area.

Finn smacked Poe upside the head. Finn and Ben just shook their heads.

“You’re an idiot” Ben said.

“I know” said Poe.

***

The girls had just finished getting their cleats on when Holdo called them in. They would be playing a team from Corellia. They weren’t known as much for their skill as they were for playing unfairly and being very sneaky.

Rose and Rey began throwing to warm up while Jess and Connix paired up next to them.

“So who was your mystery man from lunch?” Jess asked.

“He’s nobody,” Rey responded, “I just met him after our first game this morning. He helped me gain some confidence on my shots, that’s all. He’s kind of an ass actually.”

“An ass you totally have a thing for!” Jess nearly yelled.

“No wonder your shots were so good in our second game” Rose interjected.

“So are you going to see him again?” Jess asked.

“Why should I?” Rey challenged Jessika.

“You’re kidding right?” Jessika dropped her stick to look at Rey,  
“Rey, he is totally into you. You should’ve seen the way he was looking at you during lunch today.”

Jess caught a pass from Connix before it hit her in the head while she was distracted. Her reflexes were definitely some of the fastest on the team.

“Rose, back me up.”

“It’s true, Rey.” Rose agreed. “He looked taken with you, like you were the only one under that tent.”

“You guys are ridiculous,” Rey shot back, “he’s a complete stranger. I just met him today.”

“Oh! So you’re telling me, that you don’t feel anything for Mr. Tall, dark, and dreamy? That is the ridiculous thing, Rey! Look at him! Actually, I’ve seen you look at him, and there is definitely something there.” Jess continued to challenge Rey on the matter. Rey finally reaching her limit just decided to mutter whatever and gather with the team to take a lap and stretch.

Jess and Rose exchanged yet another knowing glance when they lined up next to each other to take their lap. Whether their friend wanted to admit it or not, they knew something was going on and they were going to push her and her buttons to get her to pursue it.  
If anyone deserved this, it was Rey. They always believed that.

***

The girls went on to beat Corellia and another team from the outer rim. They were officially wiped as they loaded up the van to head to their hotel. Rey was sitting in the back of the triple seater van against the window when Rose spoke softly to Rey.

“Hey, what did you think of Finn?”

“He seemed nice. Kind of quiet and definitely not as outspoken as his friend.” Rey answered, glancing at Rose.

“Oh god. Poe, I think. He was so arrogant, and clearly just full of hot air.” Rose laughed.

Rey gave a bright and light laugh and rested her head on Rose’s shoulder. Though Jessika was the gossipy one that always seemed to have something to say, Rey enjoyed every moment she had with Rose. As they continued onto the hotel, Rey thought about what the girls had said about her Mr.Tall, dark, and handsome, taking more into mind what Rose had to say than Jess.

They pulled up to the hotel and grabbed their bags. Rey tossed her duffle over her shoulder and followed Holdo into the hotel, standing just behind her in the lobby, as the girls filed against the wall and crashed onto the benches.  
Holdo handed her the room keys with her, Jess, and Rose’s name on it- 407 it read.

As Rey went to back up and turn around to usher the girls up to the room, she felt like she ran into a wall.

“Ooof! I am so sor-” her words stopping dead in her tracks as she looked up into those familiar brown eyes.

“Are you stalking me?” Rey asked him defensively.

“Stalking you?” He responded, “ excuse me,but you are not the only lacrosse players in town right now, and this is the hotel that the tournament recommended staying at.”

Rey ducked her head in embarrassment, clearly too tired from the long day to think straight. Plus, how the hell was she supposed to know that her Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome would be staying at the same hotel and she’d see him for the third time in one day after not knowing him when she got up that morning.

“But, seeing that we have run into each other yet again,” he started, nervously running his fingers through his raven hair, “ what do you say we grab dinner tonight? Do you have plans with your team?”

Rey turned to look at Jess and Rose, intently staring at her and trying to hear the conversation over the two teams now flooding the lobby. Rose could tell how nervous Rey had become and walked up to her.

“Hey, so Holdo has released us for the night and just told us to eat something and get a good night's rest, so it looks like we’ll be on our own for food.”

Rey looked back up at him and then Rose. “Actually I am going to have dinner with-” Realizing she hadn’t gotten his name yet so she just gestured over her shoulder to him.

“Great” he and Rose responded at the same time. Rose smiled as she looked up at the tall lacrosse player. He seemed to tower over Rey, and Rey towered over her, so he was almost twice her size.

“So, I’ll meet you down here like 7?” he asked, thinking an hour plus should give them each enough time to get ready and settle into their rooms.

Rey flashed him a smile, “perfect.”  
“It’ll be nice to officially meet you.” he said as he turned back to a ginger man as he was handed his room key.

Rose looped her arm through Rey’s and guided her to the elevator. Jess was waiting with the door open, they walked inside and headed up to the room, sharing nothing with Jessika.

The girls got into the elevator and headed up to their room on the fourth floor. The elevator ride was quiet: a mix of exhaustion and hunger had set in on the girls. Rey, though she was hungry and exhausted, was fixated on the fact that she never got Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome’s name. How did she go all day, saw the guy three times, and not manage to get his name?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey get to know each other better over dinner and after a long first day at the tournament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to anyone who read this! Still can't believe I posted it! Here's chapter 2

 

* * *

 

 

The warm water ran down Rey’s neck and tired shoulders.  Exhausted after a long day on the field, she was pleased to rid her body of the sticky and sweaty feeling that she had acquired after the drive to Coruscant and the four games under the Coruscant sun. While it wasn’t a dry desert heat like Jakku, the combination of the humidity and heat rivaled it without question.

 

Rey rinsed the shampoo out of her hair as a tall, dark, and handsome man crept across her mind. Her dreamy stranger that she had agreed to have dinner with later that night. Did she really say yes? Were impulsive actions a sign of heat exhaustion?

 

‘ _No, no’_ she answered herself.

 

She had made this choice for a reason. When he asked her, it felt right, natural even, for her to say yes. So why did she feel herself still questioning her decision?

 

‘ _Let’s pro, con this’_

 

 _‘Pro’s first’_ she thought.

 

‘ _Number one: he’s obviously tall, dark, and handsome’_  

 

That was obvious, since it became his nickname for the day, not only by her, but by her teammates as well. Rey had never seen such deep brown eyes that could’ve been mistaken for black at times. She found herself getting lost in them as if they were the ocean she dreamed of diving into as a child.

 

‘ _He’s so tall’_ Rey whined to herself.

 

Being over the average woman’s height, finding a guy who is interested in you and is also over a head taller than you was no easy feat. Rey actually felt small in some instances, something she never knew that she yearned for.

  


‘ _Number two: he’s so easy to talk’_

 

Rey couldn’t believe that when he came up to her on the off-field, it was as if they had been long time friends that were just reacquainting for the first time in ages. As if she had known him and known his voice. Plus, when he joined her for lunch, he actually seemed to be listening to what she had to say and not only listening to her speak, but looking into her soul and trying to read her mind, her intentions, her desires.

 

‘ _Three and final, probably the most important, he’s actually interested in me’_

 

Though this one seemed like it need to be followed by a ‘duh’, it was important to Rey. She had never been used to someone showing interest in her. Her parents tossing her to the side as if she were a trade for booze, her foster father Plutt, only interested in her for the money... Rey shook herself of this memory before she drifted too far off her course, reorienting herself to the purpose at hand.

 

She was _very much_ attracted to him which she learned over lunch that day when she looked up into his deep brown eyes, or at his pouty pink lips, wondering if they’d taste as good as she thought.

 

Trying to not get lost in the moment in her head, Rey decided to move onto the cons of the situation.

 

‘ _Cons, cons, cons’_  Rey thought, having a hard time coming up with the things wrong with Mr. Tall, dark, and handsome.

 

‘ _Well’_  She finally thought of one. ‘ _He’s very much like other men’s lacrosse players I’ve met: cocky, chauvinistic, hot-headed’_

 

This was where the cons stopped. Rey couldn’t think of anything else.

Was she really _that_ prejudiced about men’s lacrosse players that she unknowingly tangled herself into the fierce rivalry between the men’s versus the women’s game?

 

She never truly considered the rivalry since she graduated high school. She racked her brain for anything else wrong in this situation, coming upon the obvious.

 

_‘I don’t know where he’s from or where he’s going, but it sure as hell isn’t back to Takodana with me’_

 

She felt her heart sink as she realized their connection would be broken once these three days were up. She considered all she had thought about as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped her body in a towel, before stepping into a shared room with Rose and Jess.

  
  


Rey started to pull out her dark sweater and jeans from her suitcase when Jess cleared her throat and spoke up curiously with a slightly teasing tone.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

Rey turned to look at Jessika before speaking.

 

“I’m going to get a bite to eat downstairs with that guy.”

 

Jess screeched and Rose covered her ears, hoping that her over-excited friend did not just shatter her eardrums.  The girls then heard a banging on the wall between Connix and Tallie’s room.

 

“Shut up, Jess!”

  
  


Rey’s body had gone white at the sound of Jessika’s screech and immediately started to turn red in her sports bra and underwear.

 

“ I don’t even know why I am doing this.” Rey said, still staring at the ground but now sitting on the bed with her head in her hands, “This is so not me! I’ve never done anything so spontaneous in my life!”

 

“Maybe that’s a good thing.” Rose responded, knowing her friend needed help getting out of her own head.

 

“Rey, you would have never expected for a male lacrosse player to pick up on you at a tournament, let alone one that is charming and tall and handsome. Maybe there is a reason that it’s him. Maybe there’s a reason why you are going for it this time.”

 

“And I mean, Rey, did you see him? He was glorious. His ass in his lacrosse shorts. Oh. My. God. You could tell it was just perfect. _AND_ he’s tall! You’re tall and he is like the perfect height for you. And I am sorry, but I am pretty sure he is ripped below that jersey! His physique and the broadness of his shoulders, definition of his biceps.” Jessika rattled on, making Rey chuckle.

 

Rey couldn’t even think about the blush forming on her cheeks because her mouth had gone as dry as the Jakku desert during Jessika’s detailed description of Mr. Tall, dark, and handsome. She finally figured she’d returned to a normal enough color to toss on her sweater and zip up her jeans which she had slipped on while Jessika was rambling.

 

Rey looked at her watch and saw it was going on 7 and realized she was meeting him down there soon. She swiped the room key off the nightstand, as well as her cell, and her Star Wars Vans from the corner of the room.

 

Jess and Rose fluttered their fingers ‘goodbye’ to Rey as she walked out the door, but not before sticking her tongue out at them.

 

Just as she closed the door, she heard Jess _and_ Rose squeal again.  Rey just rolled her eyes as she walked down the hall to the elevator, unable to wipe her toothy smile off her face.

 

***

 

Ben walked into his room and headed straight for the shower. He was grateful that Hux was downstairs talking to a skanky bartender and drinking a beer at the hotel’s bar. This meant Ben had the room to himself, and that would allow him to focus on what had happened with his  spitfire today.

 

She was unlike any girl he had seen. Not only was she this natural beauty, but a very skilled athlete in his same sport. Watching her play while his teammates were cooling off from a game, and meeting her on the off-field when she was shooting, the girl was probably one of the most, _if not the most_ , gifted women’s players he’d seen.

 

Growing up, Ben knew that the women’s sport was different from the men’s and often heard his parents arguing when watching the games on television. But he had never disrespected the women’s game like many of his teammates - especially Hux.

 

But this girl, she had spunk and almost seemed offended when he offered her his help, yet she took the instruction, and threw it right back in his face. He could still see the way she walked away from him after their first encounter. There was no doubt in his mind that he was attracted to her.

 

He then thought of how he had scoped her out in the lunch crowd, and as he saw her sitting at a table by himself, he remembered how she almost looked glowing. Being instantly drawn to sit close to her. And hanging onto every word she said during their conversation up until Poe ruined it.

 

And it was the just the perfect end to the tournament’s first day when she literally ran into him in the lobby downstairs, and dared to ask if he was following her, actually “stalking her” were her words.

 

This made Ben chuckle.

 

As he got out of the shower and got changed into dark wash jeans, and a black t-shirt, he wondered if she would be down there to meet him. He realized it may have come off odd to suggest to a perfect stranger that they get dinner together, and she was a stranger, with proof of him not even knowing her name – yet he was comfortable around her, feeling like he had known her for years.

 

As Ben stepped out of his room, Hux was walking out of the elevator that was only a few yards away. Ben nodded to him in the hallway, but Hux averted his eyes. Ben noticed a near perfect red handprint on Hux’s face, clearly indicating that his intentions with the bartender didn’t go over well.

 

Ben chuckled quietly to himself but then heard a “fuck you, Solo” from down the hall, Hux clearly unamused by the situation.

 

When Ben reached the lobby, he didn’t see her anywhere, so he chose to wait near an area he could see the elevators and the restaurant in the lobby.

 

He was just glancing at his phone that showed 7:02. He was starting to wonder if he had scared her off, when he looked up to see her coming out of the elevator, a bright toothy smile on her face when she met his eyes.

 

***

 

Rey stepped out of the elevator and looked around briefly to see if Mr. tall, dark, and dreamy was waiting for her in the lobby. She then found the dark brown eyes she had remembered from earlier. She couldn’t hold back her bright smile.

 

She was shocked to see him return a slightly crooked smile back her way, thinking he was cuter than she had remembered that day. ‘ _Not being covered in sweat and dirt will do that to a person’_ , she said in her head.

 

The hotel’s restaurant luckily sat in the center of the lobby, with the bar at the far wall and a mixture of various tables and chairs scattered through the middle, creating a restaurant in the center of the room. This eased Rey’s fear of this being a formal date: knowing that they still felt like they were just eating in the hotel than a private restaurant.

 

“Hello stranger” Ben greeted her as she walked up to him.

 

“Nice to see you again stranger” she responded, rolling her eyes at the game they were playing.

 

Ben stood and they headed toward the restaurant, where a few other couples were sitting and enjoying quiet conversation.

 

When they sat down, Rey waited a few seconds to see if her new friend would say anything or if she would have to take initiative.

The silence finally got to her and she about burst at him.

 

“So are we gonna remain strangers or am I finally going to get to know your name?”

 

He let out a laugh, Rey was taken aback by this. He seemed so intense during their meetings that day and she hadn’t heard him laugh or even _really_ smile until that evening. This was a much more light-hearted side she was seeing.

 

“I’m Ben.” Ben stuck his hand out to shake hers. She took it in response.

 

“Rey”

 

As she shook his hand, he just stared into her eyes, continuing to shake as if they could hold onto that moment forever. Ben adjusted her hand and took it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. Rey ducked her face down to hide her blush before slowly removing her hand from his and meeting his eyes again.

 

Ben swore he could get lost in those hazel eyes.

 

The waitress came over and took their drink order and gave them their menus. Both opted for water after the long day on the field, and needed to be hydrated for their early games in the morning. Once the waitress left with their drink order, Rey decided to move the conversation forward.

 

“So, do you do this at every tournament?”

 

Ben looked at her quizzically.

 

“This being eat dinner after a long day? Yes, I do that quite frequently, even not at tournaments. Being an athlete, you have to fuel your body, Rey.

 

She rolled her eyes and corrected him.

 

“No, I mean do you always ask complete strangers on dates during tournaments?”

 

Ben thought carefully how he would respond, coming up with something witty in his head

 

“Well, technically you weren’t a stranger by the time I asked you out, since we met up several times today, that’s more like a friendship already, _and_  you already have accused me of being a stalker, which is hardly something a complete stranger would do.”

  


She huffed in defeat as the waitress came back to take their order. Ben ordered the buffalo chicken wrap and Rey the bacon grilled cheese with sweet potato fries.

 

Once again left alone, Ben decided to learn a little more about Rey.

 

“Okay, my turn. How did you end up with a little team like Takodana when you’re the talented lacrosse player you are? You could’ve ended up at Millenium as a falcon or Alliance as a rebel.” Ben didn’t dare mention Imperial after how the girls reacted today at lunch after Poe stupidly asked if they played for the women’s team.

 

“Well, I got into the sport late as a sophomore, but it came very naturally to me and I seemed to improve very quickly. Apparently, I seemed to be _gifted_ at it. At least that’s what I had a few college and high school coaches tell  me.”

 

Rey wanted to spare Ben the  dreadful story of her past and the true reason she found lacrosse, but she continued.

 

‘“My parents were players and urged me into the sport just after they adopt...” Rey stuttered before finishing, “...ed me.”

 

She let slip more than she wanted, immediately noticing Ben’s eyebrows furrow and his face change expressions from curiosity to concern.

 

Luckily, Ben decided that this wasn’t the time to probe further into her story, she was clearly uncomfortable with the fact that she just shared this piece of information and decided to drop it.

 

“So what do you do outside of lacrosse?” Ben asked.

  


_‘Thank God_ ’ Rey thought. Terrified that he was going to push deeper into her past than she would’ve preferred on a first date.

 

“Well, I hang out with Rose and Jess, they’re not only my teammates, but my best friends. You met them earlier” Rey answered.

 

“I remember” Ben responded with a small smile.

 

“And when I am not on the lacrosse field for practice, or games, or conditioning, I am in school, or in my favorite professor’s classroom or office.”

 

“You spend time with your professor? Is there competition for the dear Rey’s affection in my future?” Ben inquired.

 

“Hey,” Rey said pointing a finger at him, “first of all, ew. Second of all, Professor Solo  is one of the best teachers I have ever had, and he happens to be one of the only people I can hold a decent conversation with besides his wife, who happens to also be my dean.”

 

Ben was stunned. Not only was this girl at the school where his parents worked, but she just pointed out that she spends a lot of time with them and looks up to them.

 

He knew he had to tread lightly due to his complicated situation with them, and didn’t want to ruin their reputation with Rey.

 

Ben grabbed her finger and pointed it back down.

 

“Okay, I’m sorry to accuse. Not many girls spend time willingly with their professors, or apparently the dean of their university,” he said light heartedly.

 

She just stuck her tongue out at him, and scrunched her nose.

 

He smiled, thinking it was one of the cutest things he’d ever seen.

 

The waitress then walked up with the food, and Rey’s eyes bubbled with excitement. She had been starving, since her last meal was at lunch and had two games since then, burning off any potential calories to hold her over the rest of the day.

 

Ben was amazed that Rey nearly finished her sandwich and her fries so quickly, never seeing a woman eat with such intent. He smiled and for a moment when she was concentrated on her food, he just gazed at her

 

‘ _Where did you come from, why now?’_ Ben wondered as he continued to just watch her.

 

They conversed over the little things between bites of their meal, which shows they liked (Friends and Westworld), which shows they didn’t like (13 Reasons Why and Pretty Little Liars). Ben admitted he had never seen or heard of the last show.

 

Rey simply responded with “Good.”

 

As they finished their meal, the waitress came and cleaned the plates, setting down the check. Rey immediately grabbed at the check before Ben could, knowing very well that he’d try to pay for her.

 

“No, no, no, I could never let a woman pay,” Ben said as he held out his hand with a hand-it-over expression on his face.

 

“That is something I was taught at a young age. I am a gentleman.”

 

Rey ignored the remark and reached into her wallet and grabbed 10 dollars and placed it in his hand.

 

“No,” Ben tried to say sternly.

 

“Yes.” Rey said back matching his tone.

 

She refused to take the money back and started to stand as Ben placed his own cash for his portion and the tip down and stood as well, just shaking his head.

 

They started to walk back to the elevator when Ben spoke up.

 

“So what is your guys’ schedule tomorrow?”

 

Rey stopped dead in her tracks and pivoted to look up at him.

 

“What? Why would you want to know that? Were you intending on coming to watch?”

 

“Yeah, maybe.” Ben responded. “From what you and your teammates said over lunch, I have a feeling the game that our women’s team plays versus your team is very different, and I would love to see a respectable game of women’s lacrosse for a change.”

 

Rey raised an eyebrow at that comment he seemed to come up with so confidently, but finally caved.

 

“Fair enough.” she responded. “We have four games tomorrow, 10:30, 12:15, 3, and 5.’

 

“Great.” Ben responded, smirking as he turned back to walk toward the elevators.

 

Both wiped from a long day, Rey didn’t push conversation much more. She knew she would collapse as soon as she got back to her room, hoping the girls would be passed out or watching a movie or something to keep them from interrogating her about the evening.

 

Ben pressed the elevator button and waited for it to ding, when the doors opened, Ben placed a hand on Rey’s lower back and ushered her into the elevator. His hand moved quickly off the spot as he realized what he had done and panic started to show in his face.

 

Noticing his distraction, Rey pushed her button for floor 4 and cleared her throat inquiring Ben’s floor. He then leaned across her and pressed the 7. She was not amused by this action.

 

“I could have pressed it myself.” She said in a tired tone, leaving Ben curious if she was tired of him or just the day itself.

 

Rey’s stop dinged and the doors slid open, Ben still had a slightly panicked look on his face from his hand being placed on her lower back moments ago.

 

Rey chose to ease his frustration and grabbed onto Ben’s wrist and gave a slight squeeze

 

“Thank you for dinner.” She said with a smile.

 

Ben just smiled back and nodded, thinking next time he would not let her pay.

 

Just as she stepped out of the elevator, she turned back to Ben.  

 

“Hey Ben, I’m happy we’re not strangers anymore.”

 

She continue walking backwards, away from the elevator with a smile.

 

The elevator closed and Ben leaned back against the wall and smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta, Robyn!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose, Rey, and Jess were huddled together when they looked over to see Finn and Poe sitting on the sidelines with burritos from the vendors after their game. Jess and Rose waved over to them, excited to see their new friends had come to watch their game. Rey, on the other hand, suddenly was left with a heavy heart that reflected in her eyes, seeing that Ben was not with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my betas, Robyn and Heather!

 

* * *

 

Rey awoke to the sound of her alarm alerting her it was time to get up. 

 

As the early bird in her room, the other girls stirred at the sound of the alarm, but rolled over and went back to sleep. Rey had gotten accustomed to this. She’d wake up early, shower, and start to get ready, then she’d wake up her teammates. Her teammates grew to love this about her, knowing they’d never need an alarm clock during their tournament season. 

 

She sat up on the pullout bed she’d assigned herself to, and dangled her legs over the edge. She sat like that for a minute letting her mind wake up as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. The sunrise snuck through the crack in the shades and shined on her face. 

 

Once her mind started working, she immediately thought of the events of last night, the kiss to her knuckles, the unexpected laugh and smile coming from her strang- ‘ _ Ben’ _ she corrected herself, the hand placed on her back to guide her into the elevator, and her grabbing onto his arm and telling him she was glad that they were no longer strangers. Luckily when she got back to her room at 8:30, the girls had passed out from a long day, with  _ She’s the Man _ glowing on the TV. 

 

Rey smiled at the memories as she got up, grabbed her stuff, and headed to the bathroom to shower. 

 

Once Rey had showered, gotten dressed and ready for the day, she shook Jess and Rose out of their slumbers. Rose sat up and blankly looked into space, debating whether get up or drop back down and go back to sleep in her pillow. Jessika on the other hand sprang up as soon as she heard Rey’s voice, startling Rey and knocking her against the wall near Jessika’s bed. 

 

“Oh my gosh, how was it? Did he kiss you? What’d you guys talk about? What’d you eat? Please tell me you acted like a lady because you have a tendency to forget manners when you’re eating, Rey. Why didn’t you wake me up when you got back! Details Rey! I want details now!” Jess rattled off so quick it made Rey’s head spin. 

 

“I’d love to answer all those questions, Jess, but you need to get into the shower and I need to get to breakfast.” Rey said as she backed up toward the door.

 

She grabbed her key card and boots and slipped out of the room as Jessika was slipping out of the bed with a glare on her face. 

 

***

 

Rey was down at breakfast facing away from the lobby  when she heard a familiar voice come up behind her. She was surprised to see Finn, the dark skinned lacrosse player from Ben’s team approaching her with his bag in tow. 

 

“Good morning, how’d you ladies sleep last night?”

 

“Good, thank you. The girl’s were totally out when I got back to the room by 8:30.” Rey responded kindly.

 

Finn edged closer to her and began to elbow her playfully.

 

“Yeah, I saw you getting closer to my captain, I’ll admit he’s intimidating as hell, but that’s great.” Finn said with a smirk.

 

“I’ve never even seen Ben around a woman before, let alone on a date with one, or whatever you two were doing down here last night. You must be pretty special,” He added. 

 

Rey rolled her eyes at him.

 

“Everyone had to eat sometime, we just chose to eat together last night” 

 

“Yeah, okay I’ll buy that,” Finn said. “Hey, by the way, is Rose one of your roommates?”

 

“Yeah” Rey answered skeptically, squinting her eyes at Finn’s question. 

 

Rey was curious as to why this guy was asking about her friend he had only met once, but clearly remembered her name from yesterday’s lunch meetup. 

 

Finn looked away from her, feeling as if he gave too much away with that question. 

 

“Did you want to sit down and talk about her?” Rey asked.

 

“Oh thanks for the offer, but we’ve got a game at 9:30 and the team is meeting down here soon.” 

 

Just as Finn turned and walked away, Ben came up behind Rey and sat down across from her.  

 

“Getting to know all of my team?” Ben asked as he unwrapped a power bar that he snagged from the buffet.

 

“First of all, I know three out of the 17 of you, hardly enough proof to imply I’m getting to know your team.” She finished that point, moving onto the next, “second of all, he came up to me. I think he may be interested in my teammate, Rose.” 

 

Ben laughed out loud. 

 

“Yeah that’s not possible,” he said “ I am 95 percent sure that Finn is gay, he’s always following Dameron around like a puppy dog. I am even sure that is the only reason that he joined the team.”

 

Rey gave him an exasperated look.

 

“Well he was asking about her, and I think there may be something there.”

 

“Yeah okay,” Ben scoffed.

 

Rey had enough with this tall and handsome, overly-testosterone figure this morning, and tried her best to get rid of him, 

 

“Don’t you have a game this morning?”

 

“Yeah we do actually,” Ben responded, not moving an inch, “We are playing, Niima, a school from the outer rim.” 

 

Suddenly, Rey almost spit her food out and nearly choked on her food, trying her best not to cough on Ben. Ben grabbed her hand on the table asking if she was okay. 

 

Once Rey was able to stop the coughing and clear her airway, she threw back a big swig of apple juice with a hard swallow. Her face was red from the near choking. Keeping her eyes on the table, Rey continued to take in three long slow breaths and steady herself, not realizing that Ben could feel her shaking under his hand. 

 

“Are you alright?” Ben said with a furrowed brow and deep concern in his eyes.

 

She shrugged it off, saying it was nothing, “Just food down the wrong pipe,” not needing Ben to know that she was in foster care in Niima with the terrible Unkar Plutt before Maz found her and took her away from that place. 

 

Niima, the capital city of Jakku, was no place for a child to grow up, let alone in it’s horrible foster system.

 

Ben looked up from Rey and saw his team gathering in the lobby. Poe and Hux coming out of the elevator with Luke, starting to gather the team. Hux made eye contact with Ben and summoned him over. Ben nodding in response.

 

He looked back at Rey and squeezed her hand. 

 

He asked again, “you sure you’re alright?” 

 

Rey finally looked up. 

“Yea, sorry,” she chuckled, “I’m good, I am just hoping I didn’t spit on you. That would’ve been graceful.” She smiled. 

 

Ben knew there was more going on in her head and responded, 

 

“I’m going to pretend to believe you, but I am spittle free.” He teased.

 

“Okay, then get lost. You’re gonna make your team late to your game” Rey responded with a smirk.

 

Ben winked at her as he got up. Walking away from Rey, he looked back at her, catching her watching him walk away.

 

***

 

The girls arrived to the field, shortly after the guys started what looked like their third quarter. They were walking past the field where Ben’s team was playing. Rey was scoping out Ben, finding him quite easily since he towered over many of the players. He fired the ball into the net. 

 

Rey would never get over the sound of the ball hitting the net, but also got a chill up her spine as she heard the air getting caught in his stick as he hurled the ball forward. 

 

The speed behind the boys’ shots had always amazed her, wondering what his top speed had clocked in as, knowing very well they can reach into the 90 and 100 mph range.

Her heart felt like it jumped out of her chest with excitement. Jessika and Rose giving a knowing glance at each other, seeing Rey light up at Ben’s goal, they knew something was definitely up. 

 

Rey had managed to avoid talking about the previous evening with her friends that morning. 

 

_ After Rey finished breakfast, she went back up to the room to find the girls freaking out and scrambling because they hadn’t finished getting ready yet. Rey had grabbed her stuff, and told the girls she’d see them down stairs, leaving without a notice.  _

 

_ Rey was sitting downstairs in the lobby, when Coach Holdo, Connix, and Tallie walked out of the elevator. The girls smiled at Rey and made small talk as the team was starting to gather in the lobby.  _

 

_ “What caused Jess to screech last?” Connix asked. _

 

_ Rey snorted and said “ You know when Jess gets in those moods, she’ll screech about anything.” _

 

_ They all laughed.  _

 

_ When Coach Holdo started addressing the group, the majority of girls were there, coming down after Connix, Tallie, and Holdo. Holdo was making sure that the girls had something to eat and all had gotten to bed at a decent hour, which shouldn’t have been hard with their hectic schedule that day.  _

 

_ Rey was sitting on her phone, bouncing her boot covered foot up and down nervously waiting for Jess and Rose. Just as she was starting to text them, they rushed out of the elevator and apologized to Coach Holdo, coming up with some excuse for why they were late. Rey rolled her eyes and chuckled at her best friends.  _

 

They reached the field they would be playing at. They were only a few fields down from the boys and Rey could still hear the cheers coming from the field, assuming Imperial was keeping their lead on Niima. 

 

Rey had switched out of her boots into her cleats, and began wrapping her arms, Jess and Rose were tying up their hair and putting on their goggles. 

 

After Rey’s arms were wrapped she tied her hair up in her signature 3 buns and dawned her goggles, placing her mouth guard in the strap of her sport bra. 

 

Holdo called out lap and stretching. As Rey, Jess, and Rose led the line around the perimeter of the field,  the girls asked Rey if she was going to see her stranger again today. 

 

“Ben, and probably” she corrected and answered them, which brought out a giggle from both.

 

***

 

The girls were into the first half of their game and were dominating this team. They were winning the majority of the draws, transitioning well down the field, and choosing their shots very wisely. This goalie looked almost frightened as Jessika came up and placed a shot deliberately over the goalie’s left shoulder after Rey’s assist. 

 

Rey and Jess were checking their sticks after the goal when they heard “woohoo!!!” and “DID YOU SEE THAT?!” coming from the sidelines. 

 

Rose, Rey, and Jess were huddled together when they looked over to see Finn and Poe sitting on the sidelines with burritos from the vendors after their game. Jess and Rose waved over to them, excited to see their new friends had come to watch their game. Rey, on the other hand, suddenly was left with a heavy heart that reflected in her eyes, seeing that Ben was not with them. 

 

Finn noticed this and caught Rey’s eye, taking his thumb and throwing it over his shoulder. This directed Rey’s glance to shift from the boys to the tall man in his jersey leaning against the light pole of the field. Rey immediately smiled and her heart jumped back up. Ben signaling two fingers to his eyes and back to her that he was watching her. Rey nodded and jogged back to the circle for the draw, a new sense of confidence and purpose for this game. 

 

The girls continued to go on and kick butt in this game. Rose had gotten a free position shot after a rogue check almost knocked her goggles off. She positioned herself low to the ground, the whistle blew and she she took three steps, releasing the ball with a quick whip and skimmed the ball into the back of the net. 

 

“That’s one hell of a shot!” Rose could hear Finn cheering. 

 

She smiled to herself as she jogged back to the restraining line. She had a fan.

 

Finn was high fiving Poe when he glanced back at Ben. Ben was looking down at him curiously with an arched eyebrow and smirk. Finn turned back around, feeling stifled by his captain’s intense look. He didn’t realize he was being that obvious. Did Ben already know about his thing for Rose?

 

“Huh.” Ben mumbled, ‘ _ maybe there is something there’  _ he thought to himself. Thinking about what Rey had said earlier that morning.  

 

The buzzer blew and the girls ran over to embrace their goalie, going on to thank the refs, fans, and other team in their cheer before ending with ‘up up Takodana’. 

 

The girls began walking back to their tent when the boys walked up to them, cheering the girls names and giving them high fives. Snap and Mitaka had joined the group and Mitaka was recording their celebration for his instagram story when Ben put his hand over the phone and ushered it down. 

 

“You guys are awesome!” Finn yelled at the girls, still pumped from their win.

 

Jessika laughed “you don’t say? because we didn’t get that from your cheering on the sidelines.” 

 

The group laughed and Finn made a funny face, “You guys looking at me like that, but you saw that game! It was unreal.” 

 

The girls noticed that Poe had been surprisingly quiet. 

 

“Flyboy, what did you think of the game?” Rey asked Poe.

 

Poe glanced up at the girls, “you guys were amazing. And I owe you an apology for yesterday because you were absolutely right. Our women’s team has never played a game like you just played. You looked like a team, not like a unit. And you made a Takodana fan out of me today.”

 

Jessika looked at Rose and Rey on each side of her. She then pulled them into a hug with Poe, Ben and Finn joined on the outside. 

 

Jessika muttered to Poe in the middle of the huddle, “You’re an idiot.”

 

Poe smiled and replied, “I really am.” 

 

***

 

The girls didn’t have much time for a break since their next game was less than half hour away. So they chose to settle down at their team’s tent and just hydrate to prepare for the next game. 

 

Rey had grabbed an apple out of her bag to eat. The boys chose to stay around since their next game wasn’t until one and they only had three games that day.  Rey was sitting talking to Finn and Rose, and Poe was talking to Tallie while Jess and Connix were throwing. 

 

“So how did you guys end up playing for Takodana?” Finn asked both Rey and Rose. 

 

“Well, I just started playing lacrosse as a college freshman. I’d never picked up a stick before college and had actually started out as Takodana’s equipment manager and water jockey. My sister Paige was actually the one who convinced me to try out for the team, knowing that I was secretly practicing in my off-time.” Rose said as she reminisced over the past two years.

 

“Paige noticed I was getting better every day, so when I made the team with no problems, she wasn’t surprised at all. I actually met Rey at that tryout and we’ve been best friends ever since.” Rose smiled looking over to a Rey that was zoning, so she continued.

 

“Jess came along later and I was actually quite intimidated by her. Did you know she basically grew up with a lacrosse stick in her hand? Practically had the game mastered by the time she was 12 years old.”

 

When Rose felt like she had answered the question adequately, Finn turned to Rey to get her response. When he looked at her, she was off staring out at another field. He followed her gaze and found she was looking at Ben arguing with Hux about something. 

 

“Rey? Earth to Rey, come in peanut.” 

 

Suddenly Rey snapped out of her stare when she heard Finn use a nickname. 

 

“What? Sorry I was zoning. Did you just call me peanut?” 

 

“Yea,” replied Finn, “because you’re cute like a little peanut.” 

 

“I am almost your same height! If anyone is a cute peanut, it’s Rose.” 

 

“No, Rose is Rose!” Finn disagreed.

 

“Okay, then if I am peanut then so are you.” Rey decided, not letting this little peanut thing go. 

 

“Okay fine, we can both be Peanut.” Finn agreed.

 

Rose rolled her eyes at the two of them.

 

*** 

 

The girls started their 12:15 game and the boys stayed till the half cheering them on, before having to go get ready for their next game. This game proved to be one of the more difficult ones of the tournament. They were fighting for draw control, having a hard time stopping the fast breaks on the defensive side, and the goalie was a beast. 

 

Rey gathered the girls together and decided it was time for a pep talk. 

 

This team wasn’t beating them, they were on even playing field, and Rey wasn’t going to let her girls get discouraged at the first sign of a team that is actually giving them a fight. That’s what they came to Coruscant for, some real competition and to show that their little college team could really compete with that large university teams.

 

They broke their huddle and headed back to the draw circle, Rey hoping that she inspired the girls to keep playing with their hearts and not get discouraged. 

 

As the ref set up the ball in Rey’s stick, she closed her eyes, concentrated on the energy around her, the sun beaming down on her face, the breeze blowing across her cheeks and forehead into her hair, the huffing of the opposing center’s breathing. She felt the ref  let go of the stick and as soon as the whistle blew, her eyes shot open and she captured the ball in her stick. 

 

***

 

The girls went on to win their game by a couple points. Their transitions became unstoppable, they were winning the draws, and shooting smart. Rey continued to think of Ben the whole time she was on attack, feeling as if he was with her on the field and playing with confidence. 

 

When the game was over the girls headed over to catch the last quarter of the boys game. Jessika and Rose cheered loud after Poe had assisted Finn, and got the shot off. Rey shook Rose’s shoulders when Finn pointed over at her in his excitement. The girls screamed together.

 

Ben went to take the face-off when he looked over to the girls. Rey could tell he was looking at her so she did the two fingers from her eyes back to him, and smiled her bright, toothy grin. She could see Ben shaking his head, letting her know she got to him. She giggled with Rose and wooed when the boys won the face off, Mitaka getting the ground ball and immediately getting it to Ben. Imperial was ahead so they chose to spread out and burn some clock. In the last 15 seconds, Ben exploded toward goal and took a side step to shoot. Rey got chills up her spine as she heard the whip of the air go through his stick and the collision of the ball hitting the back of the net. The buzzer sounded, calling end of the game. 

 

The girls were waiting on the sidelines for the boys to come join them. They didn’t have to worry about lunch because the boys ate during the girls game and the girls ate during the boys. 

 

They had a few hours to kill because the boys next game wasn’t until 4 and the girls not until 5.

 

Finn and Poe were the first ones to meet the girls. They were all standing at the side lines talking about the game when Rey saw Ben walking up. She started to greet him when he bent down and picked her up at the waist, tossing her over his shoulder like a rag doll. 

 

“Ben!” Rey yelled at him while she hit his back, “Put me down! I’ll pants you from here dude!”

 

The group laughed at them. Jess and Rose decided to hold the boys back for a few minutes, giving Rey her space with Ben.

 

***

 

He gave her a quick smack on the ass before setting her on her feet, but as soon as he did, Rey swiftly smacked his chest and punched him in the arm, an alarmed look on her face.

 

“Do not do that again.” She scolded Ben.

 

Ben smirked at her before replying curiously, “What smack you on the ass or toss you over my shoulder?”

 

“E-either! Both!” Rey stuttered. Rey would not admit that she felt a jolt of pleasure the moment Ben’s large hand met her ass. She only hoped the moment had not left her face so flushed to make it obvious to Ben that she liked it more than she let on.

 

“Noted” Ben said in his most serious tone with his attempt at a serious face, but then he scoffed.

 

“I’m serious, Ben!”

 

“Oh come on Rey, you’re so tiny! It’s been so tempting and very hard  _ not _ to pick you up before now.” Ben whined.

 

“What is it with you guys and thinking I’m tiny? I am above average height for a woman and tall compared to most.” She said, closing the distance between her and Ben, looking up at him.

 

“Really?” Ben arched his eyebrow as he looked down on her, quickly glancing at her lips.

 

Rey suddenly felt the air between them get heavy as she was looking up into his eyes, the playful energy fizzling out. She caught him glance at her lips, and she couldn’t help but do the same. She started to lean in closer to him when she heard their teammates coming onto the off-field. She stepped back and almost lost her balance before Ben grabbed her. She looked up to him giving a shy smile and then looked over to her teammates. 

 

Jess was skipping up to her, and proceeded to grab her hands. “Poe and I came up with the best idea! We should do a three on three scrimmage during our break!”

 

Rey hesitated and looked over at Ben before responding, not quite sure what to say after current events.

 

“Come on Rey, it’d be fun!” Jessika said as she leaned in to say something in a whisper, “you know we can take them.”

 

“Okay, let’s do it!” Rey agreed, looking back at Ben and shrugging her shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me comments! I'd love to know what everyone thinks.
> 
> Lacrosse terms:
> 
> Face-off and Draw - happens at the start of each game and every goal at center field. The ball is placed between the back of the two opposing lacrosse heads. Face-off (men's) occurs on the ground, while a draw (women's) occurs at body level. 
> 
> Free position shot - women's shot on goal without defense in the way. Occurs when there is a foul within the lines of play. 
> 
> Check - men and women's attempt to get ball out of the opposing players stick. Women can only check other sticks, mean can body-check.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey confronts her feelings about her situation with Ben.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my betas, Robyn and Heather!

 

  


 

* * *

 

 

The boys were not adapting well to the girls’ rules, and the girls were having too much fun watching the boys get mad every time Connix called out a foul.

 

“Shooting space! Unnecessary body contact! Check across the body! Three seconds,”  Connix called, every time giving the girls a free position shot on goal. 

 

The boys were getting very frustrated, feeling like they had no power on defense. They came up with a plan to get the ball and switch it over to offense. 

 

The girls were passing around the fan. Just as Jess passed to Rose, Finn intercepted the ball and ran to the restraining line, switching the boys over to offense. The girls were able to hold them off from getting easy shots on the goal, but the boys were able to shoot from much farther away and while doing it without putting the girls at risk. 

 

Rey was guarding Ben while he had the ball, he tried to roll around her and get to the goal, but Rey stepped into his way, her defense skills equally as impressive as her offense skills. Just as Ben started to drop his stick to fire a shot around her, Rey took the opportunity to check it up and away knocking the ball into the air and retrieving it for the girls. 

 

Rey snickered and stuck her tongue out at Ben as she jogged to the restraining line.  The girls needed only one more point to beat the boys. She started to look like she was gonna pass to Jess, and then to Rose, but as she ran by them she whispered “roll the goal,” knowing the boys didn’t see this as much because of the close proximity shooting. 

 

Jess and Rose were starting to back up to the outer portion of the 12 meter, drawing Finn and Poe with them, Rey started to roll the goal and got Ben to bite as she went to one side. She then pivoted and switched her direction, leaving Ben a step behind as she fired the ball into the top right corner. Jess and Rose cheered as Poe and Finn dropped to their knees dramatically, yelling ‘no’ into the sky. 

 

Rose and Jessika walked over to retrieve the boys from the ground, seeing if they wanted to go shopping during the rest of their break. Connix wandered back to the girls’ tent, and Rey collapsed on the green grass by her bag, tossing her stick to the side and grabbing some water and an apple out of her bag. 

 

Ben flopped down next to Rey and snatched the apple out her hand.

 

“Hey!” Rey exclaimed, reaching for the apple that Ben was taking a bite out of.

 

“What?” Ben questioned innocently, “I just had my ass handed to me, so this is my consolation prize.” 

 

Rey snatched the apple back and took a bite of it. 

“Oh please,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes at Ben. 

 

***

 

After the girls’ third game of the day, Rey focused on spending time with her team. She told herself that it was best, she had a quick switch from one game to another, she didn’t have time to hang out with the boys... and she may have been avoiding Ben. 

 

She didn’t know what to make of these feelings and occurrences during the course of the day. She didn’t know what she would say next to him and she didn’t know what his feelings were or if he had any. 

 

So when Rose and Jess asked if she wanted to go over to watch the end of the boy’s game before their last game, Rey chose to stay with the team, claiming to work with Tallie and Connix on their assisted shots. 

 

She wasn’t ready to approach Ben. How was she supposed to know what he was thinking? Yes, he was leaning into her for what she assumed was an impending kiss. One that would probably make her brain short circuit. But how could she think that this was anything more than a tournament fling? He didn’t care for her more than that. He couldn’t. Nobody could.

 

The girls wandered back from the boys game after about 15 minutes and went straight to Rey.

 

“Hey” Rose said hesitantly as she walked up to Rey who was wrapping her arms for the last game of the day. 

 

“Hi” Rey responded, not sure why Rose and Jessika were acting weird. 

 

“The boys wondered where you were,” Jessika said.

 

“I was just here with Tallie and Connix. We were working on assists before the game.”

 

“Well, Ben asked about you,” Rose said, “he actually looked kinda bummed that you weren’t there.”

 

“I’ll see his games tomorrow, I am sure. Why are you guys acting so weird?” Rey responded, getting slightly irritated. 

 

Jess was the one to answer Rey’s question, “because you were the one who seemed so keen on getting to know him better and now it seems you’ve put on the breaks. It’s just kind of confusing. It’s like you guys have been drawn to each other since we got here, and now there’s too much tension from the separation.”

 

Rey was shocked at this deep description that came from Jessika. 

 

“Guys,” Rey sighed before starting, “ we are only in Coruscant for one more day. The likelihood that Ben is wanting this to continue is slim. I just need to separate before  _ I  _ end up the one who gets hurt. I’ve been dumped and left alone one too many times, I won’t let it happen again.”

 

The girls nodded knowing Rey needed time alone to think about this. Them egging her on would only push her further away and probably make her mad which is not what she needed before a game, or during this tournament.

 

This game though, Rey was already not the same. She wasn’t taking shots on goal or looking anywhere toward it, and when she did, the goalie was stopping all of them. She knew something was wrong when she heard him from the sidelines.

 

“Oh come on, Rey.” Ben said in a disappointed voice.

 

Rey, already kicking herself after that last shot, decided she wasn’t going to let this funk affect her play. This tournament was about her and her team, not the guys she met, or anything occurring off the field. She closed off all the other stuff mentally, putting up a wall to keep out anything but lacrosse. It was when the goalie cleared the ball from the cage that Rey anticipated the player she was throwing to. Rey intercepted the pass and took it back to the offensive side, assisting Jess in the center of the fan and getting the goal. 

 

“Yes!” She heard from the sideline, not sure if it came from Poe, Ben, or Finn. All she cared about was she felt like herself again and she wasn’t going to let some guy ruin what she had with her team.

 

From that switch on, the girls dominated the game. Rey was a major player in each play and was assisting, shooting, and transitioning flawlessly. She played hard until the final buzzer sounded and then ran over to her goalie with the team and cheer it up. 

 

The girls were starting to pack up their stuff when the boys wandered over. Poe gave them each a high five and Finn gave Rey and Rose a big hug. 

 

“Rough start, but you guys dominated!” Poe said boisterously.

 

“Never doubted you for a second!” Finn said as he wrapped an arm around Rose’s shoulders.

 

Rey packed up her bag as her teammates and the boys continued to talk. She was just getting ready to throw her bag over her shoulder to head to the van when she felt a large hand take the place on her shoulder instead. 

 

She paused and swallowed before turning around. When she did, she was immediately met with those dark brown eyes searching her soul. A gasp escaping her lips before being able to say anything. Rey knew that Ben was waiting for her to speak first. 

 

“Hey” she said in the best tone she could muster.

 

“Hi, what was up with the beginning of that game?” 

 

“I was distracted. Now I am not. Shouldn’t happen again.” Rey said firmly as she threw her bag over her shoulder and started to head for the parking lot.

 

Ben looked confused as she walked away. He didn’t like how she was acting. Her spitfire attitude he loved when he first met her was turning into a fire that just left a burn now, and not in a good way. He jogged after her and met her at her team’s van. 

 

“So do you guys have plans tonight? Would you want to get dinner again?” 

 

Rey tossed her bag into the back and then turned to Ben, “we’re doing a team dinner out and we’ll be going straight there from here, probably not getting back to the hotel till 8 or so, so no. Sorry, Ben.”

 

“Rey” He grabbed her hand and said nothing else, yet she knew exactly what he meant. 

 

“We’ll talk, I promise.” She said before getting into the van with Jess and Rose walking up behind her. 

 

Ben squeezed her hand as he helped her into van and Jessika shut the door behind him with a shy smile. He saw Rey look over her friends shoulder and smile. This gave him some hope. 

 

*** 

 

The dinner was surprisingly pleasant. Before her encounter with Ben, Rey was actually dreading it, afraid that Jess and Rose were going to question everything, from their obvious flirting off the field to her weak start of their final game to her ever changing mood about the topic. Instead, they avoided talking about the boys all together. They didn’t exist for the evening and Rey was glad. 

 

The girls were excited for family day tomorrow, their families would come out to see them play for the last day of the tournament. Rey was excited to see Paige, Rose’s older sister who not only used to play for the team, but was the one who convinced Rose to join. Besides Rey, Rose always knew her sister would be looking out for her. 

 

Maz and Chewie would also be coming in for Rey. She loved her adopted parents a lot, and felt lonely when she traveled. Though they were not her real parents, they were the closest thing to family that Rey had and she cherished every moment with them. 

 

Coach Holdo picked up the meal for the girls as a celebratory thank you. She knew the girls could take this tournament to the championship game and this was her way of encouraging them. 

 

When the girls got back to the hotel they headed straight up to their rooms, Jess and Rose had plopped down on their beds before changing.

 

“Let’s turn on a movie,” Jess suggested, “Rey it looks like they have  _ The Greatest Showman.  _ Want to turn that on and crack open the bag of chicago mix popcorn that Rose got from Costco?” The girls looked at her, waiting for a response. 

 

Though this sounded relaxing, Rey opted out and changed into a slouchy tee, sweatpants, and her boots. Letting the girls know she was going to wander the hotel’s property for a little while and she’d be back before it got too late. She snagged a room key and her phone off the nightstand and headed downstairs. 

 

As Rey was wandering the property, she heard a crackling noise and saw a glow coming from a secluded part of the hotel’s outdoor common area. She walked over toward the area to find a fire pit that looked over the property of the hotel. There was a greenery wall surrounding it, making a quiet and private ambiance. 

 

Rey sat down on one of the cushioned loveseats and drew her knees to her chest. She closed her eyes and took in her surroundings. The crackle of the fire, the cool night air brushing her cheeks, the warmth radiating off the fire onto her exposed arms and shoulder. She opened her eyes when she heard footsteps approaching. Looking up and seeing Ben staring down at her with a soft smile on his face. 

 

“Care to join me?” Rey asked with a smile.

 

“Of course,” Ben said as he sat down next to her. 

 

“Leave it to you to find a place like this.” Ben joked with Rey. 

 

Rey playfully shoved him with her exposed shoulder. She could feel her cheeks flushing as she looked down at the fire.

 

“How was your dinner?” Ben asked curiously.

 

“It was good, we all seem really excited for family day tomorrow, since they don’t get to see us play enough when we are away.”

 

Ben’s heart felt like it stopped. He totally forgot about family day. Somehow he was going to have to make sure Rey and his parents did not run into each other, at least not while he was around them. He shook himself of this feeling and focused back on Rey.

 

“So what brought you down here?” He asked.

 

“I needed to get away. To think. To try and explain all this to myself. I need answers.”

 

“And did you get the answers you were looking for?”

 

Rey cocked her head to the side and looked at him with a smirk. 

 

“No, it’s kind of a two person situation I am dealing with here, Ben.” 

 

Ben chuckled and slid his hand down to interlace their fingers, resting their hands on her knee that was still up by her chest, “right, well tell me what you’re thinking.”

 

She looked down and blushed before her confession, “I’m thinking... that... I don’t want this to end,” Rey swallowed hard and took a deep breath, summoning the courage to get through this, “I’ve never felt this connected to someone before, and you leaving my life scares me. I am afraid that I will feel the same loneliness that I grew up with if you leave.” 

 

Rey’s eyes couldn’t hold back her tears any longer and they now streamed down her face . Ben wished he knew why, wished he knew how he could fix this beautiful woman that came into his life. He wanted to let her know how he felt the same way. Afraid of being alone, as always. 

 

His parents shipped him off to boarding school at a young age and even though his mother says she regrets it, he never felt the same toward his parents after that. His relationship was broken with them and he knew it was the reason he grew up feeling alone and abandoned. Now he knows Rey has felt the same loneliness and that this is way more than just having feelings for each other.

 

Ben’s free hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb grazing over it to wipe away her tears. Though he was sad for her, he smiled because she just admitted something he’d been hoping for since meeting her. He looked into her hazel eyes, the gold flecks seemed to be dancing due to the fire pit. 

 

“Rey, you’re so special. You’re beautiful and graceful. You’re fiery and stubborn,” he said, getting Rey to chuckle and crinkle her nose at his comment, “and I don’t know if there is any option here of me leaving this tournament without you in my life. The last thing I want is for you to feel alone.”

 

Rey’s heart felt like it could burst from her chest. Her eyes teared up again, very close to spilling over. Ben would have been worried, but her expression had changed. She no longer looked scared and timid, but she was now glowing and smiling.

 

Before he could say anything else, Rey lunged toward him, knocking him off balance, and wrapping her arms around his neck. She was so overjoyed, that all she could think was to embrace him. Never wanting to let go.

 

* * *

 

 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Above is a layout of a girl's lacrosse field. The 8 and 12 meter arcs create 'the fan'.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family day at the tournament. Will Ben keep Rey from his family or will fate intervene as always?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 4th of July! I wanted to have a special holiday update so here it is! Hope all my American readers stay safe and make good choices! Also thanks so much to @fangirlart5 on tumblr for creating this icon for the fic! I love it and appreciate her so much! I'll attach the link and art to the bottom.

* * *

 

Rey woke up that morning with a smile on her face. She stretched her muscles as she laid in bed thinking of the night before. Ben had wanted to be with her, he said he couldn’t imagine not knowing her after that tournament. 

 

_ ‘Oh god’  _ Rey thought to herself, ‘ _ I totally smothered him - no - I fucking tackled him...Shit...Smooth Rey.’ _

 

She didn’t realize until then that she had gotten caught up in the moment and didn’t hold her feelings back at all, literally. She covered her face with her hands to hide the blush as if someone was watching her. Her roommates who were passed out didn’t have a clue. 

 

She sat up in bed, cracked her neck, and rolled her shoulders before getting up, starting to feel the stiffness in her muscles. A nice hot shower sounded perfect before heading down to breakfast where she’d hopefully see Ben. 

 

Rey woke up the girls before leaving, making sure they had their uniforms and stuff all ready before she left the room, not letting them be late  _ again.  _

 

She got downstairs and grabbed a sausage breakfast sandwich from the buffet along with a cup of coffee and water. She was watching the morning news on the tv when she heard someone come up behind her.

 

“Hey Peanut”

 

Rey smiled, “hey Peanut, how are you this morning?” 

 

“I am wonderful; Rey and would you like to guess why?” Finn responded cheerily.

 

“Because you are getting to see my shining face down here this morning?” Rey ventured a silly guess.

 

“Well yes that  _ and _ as of last night I can say that a dear friend of mine and my very serious captain are going to continue to see each other after this weekend ends.” Finn said with a smile on his face and a wiggle in his eyebrows. 

 

Rey’s eyes went wide, “How did you find out? It just happened last night,” she said with a panic in her voice, but couldn’t hide her smile. 

 

“I may have been walking past a certain fire pit last night, enjoying my evening, when I heard a very serious confession followed by a squealing girl. At least I  _ hope  _ it was a girl, I don’t think Ben’s voice could ever go  _ that  _ high.”

 

“Oh my god!” Rey exclaimed and then hid her face in her hands.

 

“Oh Peanut, it’s fine!” Finn said, pulling Rey’s hands away from her face, “I am not going to tell anyone and I am  _ really  _ happy for you. It sounds like you both deserve this.”

 

“Thank you,” Rey said quietly as she eyed Rose walking up behind Finn. 

 

He followed her gaze as Rose ducked out of his line of sight and tapped his opposite shoulder. Sitting down on the chair next to him with a bright smile on her face. 

 

Rey watched them as they both seemed to brighten around each other. Rey had a feeling that her and Ben wouldn’t be the only ones leaving with something special this weekend. 

 

They conversed about their game schedule that day, the boys had three games and the girls had two before the playoff and championship games that night. As soon as they began discussing who was the competition for both the boys and the girls, Ben plopped down next to Rey.

 

“My money is on that team, Takodana, for the women’s championship. They seem to know the game the best.” 

 

Rey flashed a bright toothy smile in his direction, as he placed his coffee and breakfast sandwich on the table. He gave her a quick wink and turned toward Rose and Finn.  

 

“Finn, who you thinking?” 

 

“I don’t know Ben, our ladies seem to have this tournament in the bag.” Finn answered.

 

Rose quickly punched him in the arm after that answer, Ben and Rey chuckled.

 

Finn let out a defensive “Ow! I was just kidding! You guys totally have this in the bag!” 

 

Both teams started filling the restaurant getting breakfast and chattering before their games. Rey was eyeing an older gentlemen from across the room when Ben and Finn followed her gaze.

 

“Who are you all staring at?” Rose asked impatiently.

 

Rey answered, “that guy with the grey hair and beard looks so familiar, like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

 

Ben tensed next to Rey. She looked over at him and he took another bite of his sandwich followed by a swipe of fingers through his hair. 

 

Finn answered Rey’s question, “Oh that’s our coach, you’ve probably just seen him at this tournament. Luke Skywalker, he’s also Ben’s uncle.”

 

Rey glanced over at Ben, who still wouldn’t make eye contact with her or focus on anything other than his sandwich. 

 

“No that’s not it” she said curiously. Ben remained tense next to her, focusing on his sandwich and the table. Rey sensed something was off about him, but dropped it.

 

She rested her hand on his knee, helping center him back to her.  It must’ve worked because he looked over to her and smiled. 

 

***

 

Rey looked down at her phone as they pulled up to the fields in the van. She had an unread text from Maz. When Rey opened it, Rose immediately knew that Rey’s parents were on their way since Rey’s whole demeanor brightened and she saw her best friend’s toothy smile spread across her face. 

 

“They’re here already aren’t they?” Rose asked Rey, already knowing the answer, but wanted to make her teammate get more excited. 

 

“Yes, they are,” Rey said, “they’re already waiting at our rest area.”

 

“Of course,” Rose chuckled, “they wouldn’t miss a second of family day! You’ve got the best family in the world.”

 

“Yeah, I do,” Rey said, letting that thought sink in.

 

Though she had a childhood that she’d never wish on anyone, she ended up with a family who loved and cared about her. Not only did she have her adopted parents, Maz and Chewie Kanata, but she had Rose and Jess, and Leia and Han. The people in her life that meant the most to her, the people she enjoyed seeing every day and those who she now considered her family, despite having no blood relation. 

 

She thought about how Ben had made his way into this too. 

 

‘ _ Oh shit...Ben’  _ Rey thought.

 

How was she supposed to explain the whole Ben situation to her parents? 

 

_ ‘Hey guys this is Ben, I just met him two days ago, but he’s basically my boyfriend now and we care a lot for each other. Fucking hell...’  _ She whined in her head. 

 

She sounded like some sort of lovestruck teenager. There was no way this was going to make any sense to her parents.  _ ‘for now they don’t need to know _ ’ Rey decided in her head. They just needed to know she was kicking butt in this tournament and had made some new friends. 

 

Just as Rey finished that thought, the team pulled into the parking lot near their rest area and field they’d be playing on that morning. Rey hopped out of the van and ran to her parents. Chewie lifted her up in a big hug. Once back on the ground, Maz joined the hug also. Their embrace made Rey feel whole, she felt home. 

 

***

 

Imperial and Takodana’s first games of the day had been at the same time, so the boys agreed to find the girls later before lunch and their second games of the day. 

 

Leia and Han had joined the boys on their field before the game started. Ben couldn’t exactly say he was thrilled to see them. He was actually quite nervous because he knew he had to keep them away from Takodana’s games, more specifically  _ Rey,  _ which wouldn’t be easy considering Leia was the manager of Takodana’s team and determined to keep Ben by her side all day. It wasn’t until Ben was walking through the vendor tent with them that he really found out he was screwed.

 

“Han Solo!”

 

Han turned around to see his best friend towering over the crowd, and knew the woman who called his name would be right next to him.

 

“Hey Maz!” Han responded and waved his hand in the air. 

 

Ben turned around slowly and was met with something he didn’t expect. The shocked gaze of hazel eyes staring at him. His jaw dropped and they both gaped at each other for a moment. 

 

Rey was at a loss for words, a million things swirling around in her head trying to figure out what the hell was happening.  _ Ben-- Han-- Leia-- Solo...Ben Solo.  _ There was a fire building in Rey and her eyes showed it. She was pissed. Not only did her favorite people in the world have a son who played for Imperial, but it was Ben and he never bothered to tell her anything about it even with the knowledge of her connection to them.

 

Ben was still standing there in shock, stunned to find out Rey was the adopted daughter of his parent’s friends, and the one he’d heard so much about, but avoided meeting for all those years. They were tied together in so many more ways than he’d ever known. 

 

There was a conversation going on between their parents that neither Ben nor Rey were paying any attention to. Rey suddenly excused herself, claiming she had to go get ready for her game. Ben was left in awe as she walked away. 

 

***

 

Takodana’s game after lunch was unlike any game Rey had played.  She was being fueled by the fire in her heart, she was being aggressive yet decisive, and taking any shot she could and making every one, imagining Ben’s face in the goal helped her accuracy. This game was all about letting off steam, and taking a win. She forgot about all about the spectators on the sidelines, her parents and Han and Leia included, the boys cheering for them meant nothing at that moment. 

 

The second the game ended and they finished the cheer, Rey grabbed her bag and water and went to rest on the off-field. She knew that she would have all sorts of eyes on her, including Coach Holdo, her parents, Han and Leia, and her team, wondering where that Rey had come from during the game.   

 

“Ugh!” Rey grunted as she threw her bag on the ground and sat down next to it. The rage in her performance had melted away and she was left with shame. Rey didn’t like the way she just played and she didn’t leave that game feeling good. She just felt ashamed and disappointed in herself for playing in such a manner. 

 

“Wow,” Rey heard from behind her, “I’ve never seen anything like that in a women’s game. You were incredible. I am damn impressed.”

 

Rey was seething. She grabbed her stick and got up, starting to storm away from him, when she felt her stick being tugged back. Ben had grabbed it before she could get away. Rey spun around and glared at Ben.

 

“You could play on a men’s team if you continued to play like that!”

That did it. Rey saw red. 

 

“The men’s game lacks finesse and skill, and the guys who play it are just hotheads that need to play a game that is similar to taking a beating,” Rey lashed out at him. 

 

Ben’s temper then gave way, flooding through him in a way that he thought only Hux or his parents could bring out of him.

 

“Are you fucking kidding me,” Ben was near yelling at Rey, who he expected to cower from his temper, but instead stood her ground, “the women’s game could never compare to men in the world of lacrosse. You all lack the proper strength, speed, and power to even compete in the game! The only reason you all make it look so easy is because  _ it is.” _

 

“Are you kidding me right now,  _ Solo _ ?” Rey making sure she enunciated his last name intending to hurt him as she said it, “I handed you your ass yesterday with ease.”

 

“Yeah, well it’ll be different now one-on-one,  _ Kenobi, _ ” Ben mocked her, “you don’t have your precious team and you’re just going against  _ me.” _

 

Rey yanked at her stick which was still being held by Ben, and grabbed a ball from her bag, popping it to Ben, accepting his challenge. 

 

***

 

This scrimmage was much like the three-on-three from the day before. Rey was clearly winning, however Ben was keeping up and making her work for it. As Rey went to take a shot, Ben checked her stick and grabbed the ball from her. Ben wound up from a shot when Rey stepped in front of him, accidentally tripping and knocking him face first into the goal.

 

Rey’s pent up aggression immediately drained from her body and was replaced with regret and fear.

 

“Oh my god! Ben!” She rushed to him and grabbed the sides of his face in her hands, shocked by the gash that started somewhere on his forehead and stretched down the right side of his face. Rey couldn’t figure out where it started or ended, but the fact that she knew she caused it made her sick to her stomach, and left her feeling physically ill. 

 

He looked up at her with a confused and shocked look on his face. One of the tournament supervisors rushed over to the two after seeing what happened. Rey jumped as the official leaned down and put his hands on her shoulders, letting her know he would take it from here. He picked Ben up off the ground and helped walk him over to his Gator where he sat him in the seat and drove him over to the medic tent. 

 

Rey tried to collect herself before following after the Gator to the medic tent. Her breathing was shallow and hard and tears were streaming down her face. Jessika and Rose ran up to her and asked if everything was all right. 

 

“Ben...f-face...medic,” were the only words Rey could manage to mutter, trying to use her hands to explain. 

 

Her friends wrapped their arms around Rey and started to walk her over to the medic tent. When the girls got to the medic tent, the medic explained that Ben had been cleaned up, and stabilized with butterfly bandages, before being sent off the the ER to get stitches. 

 

***

 

Rey was still traumatized over what she did when she walked over to Coach Holdo. Maz and Chewie, Leia and Han had agreed to wait for her before heading to the hospital. Rey asked if she can skip the next game to go to the ER for Ben. Coach Holdo agreed. Rey jogged over to the parking lot and hopped into the rented minivan with Leia, Han, Maz and Chewie. 

 

Rey felt awkward on the ride to the emergency room because of what she had done to their loved one. It isn’t until Han broke the silence that Rey started feeling like she rejoined the world

 

“Ben’s too cocky anyway, probably deserved what Rey gave him.” Rey and Leia both stared at Han in shock. 

 

“While I don’t know if I can agree with that,” Leia shot a death glare at her husband, “Ben has always been very competitive, but I’ve never seen the side he shows with you, Rey. He seems to have taken a liking to you. I’ve never known my son to go out of his way to watch a specific girl play or even just talk to them, yet he seems to seek you out.”

 

Rey sits in silence thinking about what his mother just shared with her. 

 

As soon as the van pulled up to Coruscant memorial hospital, Rey hopped out. She rushed through the double doors and up to the glass window where a kind-looking woman was sitting.

 

“Hi, a young man was just brought in here. His name is Ben Solo. Where can I find him?”

 

“Are you family, miss?” 

 

“Yes,” Rey paused, “I am his sister, my parents and their friends are parking the car.”

 

“Well, the nurse just took him back to exam room...” she looked down at her admittance sheet, “four. You can head on back.” She smiled at Rey. This helped calm Rey’s nerves a bit. She needed this kindness after having a day filled with anger and aggression. 

 

The admitting staff buzzed her in and she bolted for exam room four.

 

Han and Leia walked up to the window, “Hello, we believe our son was brought in here with a face injury.”

 

“Yes, his sister just went on back, if you’d like I can let you through, but it is family members only.” 

 

Leia smirked. Rey was smart to tell her that she was family. Her fiery character would match her son well. Knowing that Rey needed her time with Ben, Leia turned to Han. 

 

“Let’s just wait out here. Ben doesn’t need us back there. He’s got Rey.”

* * *

 

[https://fangirlart5.tumblr.com/](https://fangirlart5.tumblr.com/post/175491814636/boredom-icon-request-reyben-icon-for-my-let-it)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my AWESOME betas, Robyn and Heather, for getting this chapter done so quickly! They are phenomenal!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey visit in the hospital and return to the tournament, will the day be resolved???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry I didn't update this week! Been crazy with getting oriented for work! But soon I'll be back to updating weekly I hope, if nightshift doesn't kill me! 
> 
> This chapter is an early birthday gift to my awesome friend @grlie-girl, whose birthday is tomorrow! Happy birthday, love! 
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

 

“Hi” Rey stood nervously, looking down at the ground at the door of Ben’s exam room. 

 

Rey continued to stand there and not look at Ben until he spoke.… 

 

“I never should have underestimated you, you may look untrained but you are stronger than you know”

 

Rey looked up with a slight blush on her face, Ben wasn’t sure if it was from what he said or from being in the sun all morning. 

 

He patted the seat for her to come sit down. She followed and saw the black mesh the nurse used as a second skin.  It would allow Ben to go back and play in the tournament, as long as he went back to get it closed up when he got home. 

 

The nurse was finishing up her last tests on him before she started the discharge process. He had been through concussion checks, neuro checks, a brief eye exam, basically anything to make sure his injury had not affected anything else. 

 

It wasn’t until the nurse left the room that Rey finally spoke again. 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me about your parents?” Rey asked still looking at the her hands in her lap, “Friday night I told you about them, told you they were important to me. You knew who they were, but chose to keep that from me. Why?”

 

Ben sighed, “Our relationship is complicated, and I didn’t want to ruin yours because of it.”

 

Rey looked at him with raised eyebrows. She did not intend to talk until he explained further. 

 

“When I was little, I was this awkward kid with anxiety issues that felt emotion ten times more than any other kid, it made me much closer to my parents than most. I wanted to be just like them. Did you know my father was a pilot before he became a professor?” Ben asked Rey, who nodded, ‘ _ of course she did’  _ he chuckled.

 

“Well I wanted to be just like them. But then one day they shipped me off to boarding school. My uncle thought it was the right thing to do because that’s what he did, and he talked my father into it because my father also did the boarding school thing. Once they both decided I should go, they had to convince my mother who at first was totally against it.” He glanced towards Rey. She was listening intently, eyes watching him.

 

“They ended up convincing her because they believed I was wise beyond my years and only through boarding school would I reach my full potential. So she caved and I was sent off all on my own at ten years old.” Ben said, his jaw tensing when he revealed how young he was. 

 

Rey spoke then. She really was his ray of light. Who else could find a silver lining in Ben’s tragic backstory?

 

“At least you have a family that loves you. Gives a damn about you. My parents were never meant to be parents.” She paused and took a breath as if this next part would be painful. 

 

“They were drunks who tried to sell me off for drinking money. It’s only because my grandparents stepped in that I had anyone who cared about me.”

 

Ben placed his hand over hers on the exam table. Rey looked down as if she had never felt such a feeling before. She slipped her hand out and set them in her lap, continuing to look down. 

 

“Once my grandparents died, I was placed into the foster system because I wasn’t 18. I was living with this awful man named Unkar Plutt in Niima, Jakku. He basically used me as a worker in his junkyard when I wasn’t in school and lived off the money the government sent for my fostering.”

 

“By the time I was 16, I’d never felt so alone.  And it wasn’t until an old family friend reached out to me, and checked on how I was doing that I finally broke down. Maz was the first person who asked about  _ me,  _ and truly meant it. I told her that I couldn’t stand my life. I was lonely and unloved.” 

 

The tears spilled over Rey’s cheeks as she remembered the loneliness and numbness she felt. Whenever she thought about how she used to count the days till her 18th birthday, or how she had no friends or family anymore to be with her. The tears reminded her that she was real and that numb feeling didn’t last forever. 

 

Rey cleared her throat and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands before continuing. 

 

“That’s when Chewie and Maz started the adoption process for me, knowing my grandparents would not want me to live like that. They supported me, and pushed me through high school and brought lacrosse into my life. Maz said I was a natural at it from the start and picked up the game so quickly. She said my passion for the game covered the heartbreak of my past, and put love back into my heart.” 

 

“ I was a senior on the team in high school when Leia from Takodana college contacted me about a full scholarship because of my work ethic, grades, and ability in the sport she once played. I continued to live at home while going to college, and working to earn my degree.” Rey ended the story, all caught up to the present. 

 

Ben watched her intently while she spoke. Nothing ever was going on around them when he was listening to Rey. She was all he saw and heard. 

 

It wasn’t until the nurse cleared her throat that Ben was brought back to reality, not even hearing her walk back in. She needed to explain his discharge instructions before he could leave and wanted to emphasize that if he felt any straining on his face, he was to stop playing. This black second skin could only hold so much. 

 

Ben signed some papers and helped Rey off of the exam table. When they walked out, Leia and Han rushed to Ben’s side. 

 

“Are you okay?” Leia asked in a panicked tone, reaching out and touching his scarred cheek.

 

Maz backhanded Rey on the arm “Did you apologize to this poor boy?”

 

Han intervened before Rey could answer, “Ah, the boy probably deserved it. If not, it’ll make one hell of a story!”

 

Chewie and Han laughed while Leia and Maz just stood there glaring at their husbands. 

 

While on the way back to the fields, Rey and Ben sat in the back of the minivan. Rey had felt so awful since that game, and then she hurt Ben, she could hardly come to terms with herself. 

 

“I am so sorry” she said.

 

“Don’t be,” Ben said, “it’s an occupational hazard of the sport, I signed up for it. And think about it, It’ll make for a great story one day.”

 

‘ _ He is his father’s son’  _ Rey thought. She couldn’t help but smile thinking that Ben was implying they may still know each other and be involved in the foreseeable future. 

 

The rest of the ride back to the field was no longer awkward. They talked lacrosse, Han told Ben what he could do better, and Leia and Maz were giving Rey advice, and for the second time that day, Rey felt at home. 

 

***

 

When they got back to the field, Rey’s team and Ben’s team were warming up for their next games. They dashed off, just waving to each other and mouthing good luck. 

 

When Ben joined his team, Hux was the first one to give Ben shit.

 

“Damn Solo, looks like you’re marked for life! It’ll be a nice reminder that you whooped on by a girl.”

  
  


Ben wasn’t gonna tolerate this disrespect for Rey. Sure, he was the one with the injury, but Rey was not just  _ any  _ girl. 

  
  


“Fuck you Armitage, and just so you know, that  _ girl _ has more talent, skill, and passion for this game than you have ever had on your  _ best  _ day.” 

 

Poe and Finn ‘ohhhhed’  at that burn giving Ben a good sense of confidence and teamwork for this next game. 

 

“Damn, Hugs! Need some ice for that burn?” Poe asked tauntingly, with Finn shaking off his hand from that burn Ben just delivered. 

 

The ref’s then blew the whistles indicating the end of warm up and prep for the game to begin.

 

Rey rejoined her team to find out they tied in that last game without her there. She prepped quickly, wrapping her wrists and making sure her hair was up tight. 

 

Jess and Rose walked over to Rey, “is your boyfriend okay?” Jess asked. 

 

Rey shot Jess down, “He is not my boyfriend; I hurt the guy and therefore felt obligated to make sure he was okay.” 

 

Jess and Rose just responded with a “mhmm” and walked away, leaving Rey smiling and blushing before the refs blew their whistles for the game to begin. 

 

The day continued marking the end of the tournament. Rey’s team had gone on to take the women’s division trophy, leaving Rey utterly exhausted yet pumped from the win.

 

Ben’s team had taken second in the men’s division and were able to watch the women’s game. Ben had his eyes on Rey the whole time, the only people noticing were Luke and Han. 

 

His teammates had gone from cocky jerks to the women’s number one supporters: Poe learning moves from Jessika and helping her apply some attack methods to the field, while Rose took some advice from Finn and applying it to her game at midfield.

 

Ben was the only one who noticed Finn watching Rose. Never thinking much of Finn since he had only joined the team because Poe had convinced him to, Ben now found common ground with the dark-skinned man as they both clearly had been taken by these two natural-gifted women’s lacrosse players. 

 

As the final buzzer sounded, Finn and Ben were the first ones to storm the field. Ben hoisted Rey up on his shoulders and Finn followed suit with Rose. The girls didn’t even mind the extra attention.

 

When Holdo called the team over for post-game conference, Ben swung Rey off his shoulders and around his body for a big hug. His forehead met hers and their eyes locked onto each other before he slowly lowered her back on her feet. When her feet met the ground she had to compose herself and catch her breath from what just happened. Jogging over to Holdo, her head was spinning and her bright toothy smile couldn’t be wiped from her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to so much my betas, Robyn and Katty! You guys are rockstars!
> 
> Comment please! I love them!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls arrived at the beach and the sun was making its way lower and lower on the horizon. The sea air was cool and a nice change to the humid heat that they’d been feeling all day under the Coruscant sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my wonderful betas, Robyn and Katty!

* * *

 

It didn’t take long for the girls to pack up the van and leave the field one last time. Rey bid her parents and Leia and Han goodbye. Each of them gave her a hug and wished her safe travels home in the morning. Han was the last to give Rey a hug and surprised her by telling her to keep Ben in-check.

 

“He is my son after all,” Han said with a playful wink, leaving Rey to turn three shades of red. 

 

Paige Tico had arrived sometime during the course of the day, and Rey didn’t get to catch up with her like she had planned, so Rose convinced Coach Holdo to let her come back to the hotel and leave in the morning. 

 

Everyone was packing into the van when Ben snuck up behind Rey and wrapped his arms around her waist. Rey gave a little yelp as he gave her a squeeze before practically laying his lips against her ear. 

 

“Are you guys doing anything tonight?” Ben whispered, sending shockwaves down Rey’s spine. 

 

“I don’t think so,” Rey responded as she turned her head slightly, letting Ben nuzzle further into her neck. Her breathing suddenly getting heavy. It was obvious that after their little accident and the championship game, Ben wasn’t about to hide his feelings for Rey. She had marked him, followed him to the emergency room, opened up to him, and annihilated in the championship game. He wasn’t about to let her get away. 

 

Rey’s brain was short circuiting from Ben’s touch. She tried her best to compose herself. Once she was finally able to, she remembered that Paige had mentioned heading to the beach for some fun before the sun set. 

 

“Actually,” Rey said suddenly, getting Ben’s attention, “we were thinking of heading down to the beach with our sticks and having some fun. You know, a little beach lacrosse, watch the sunset, maybe start a bonfire,” Rey hesitated, hoping to get a positive response from Ben.

 

“So, is that an invitation?” Ben asked. 

 

Rey turned in his arms, lacing her fingers behind his neck,and looked up into his deep brown eyes. 

 

“Yes it is,” she smiled, “ I’ll even let you bring the boys, since we all seem to have such a good time together.” 

 

“It’s a date then,” Ben said, looking down at his champion. His little spitfire. The girl who marked him earlier that day. He gave her a half smile and poked the tip of her nose with his finger, “boop,” he said before walking away to rejoin his team and head back to the hotel.

 

***

 

The girls arrived at the beach and the sun was making its way lower and lower on the horizon. The sea air was cool and a nice change to the humid heat that they’d been feeling all day under the Coruscant sun.

 

They scoped out an area that’d be out of the way of anyone still lingering on the beach. The area they found allowed for plenty of space for them to play and throw around without worrying about hitting any beach-goers. Jess and Paige gathered driftwood scattered on the beach to create the pile for the bonfire they fully intended on having later that night.

 

While they did that, Rose and Rey set up a kiddie goal that Paige had brought with her and started to take shots on it. Paige had created a team with Connix and Tallie while her sister played with Jess and Rey. 

 

Jess insisted on harassing Rey about what happened before heading back to the hotel after the game. 

 

“Rey, don’t even try to lie to me anymore. I saw what happened outside the van! I’ve never seen two  people more smitten for each other!” She looked at Rey with insisting eyes, finally breaking down Rey’s walls. 

 

“Okay, okay, okay” Rey responded with a defeated huff, “fine Jess, you win. Ben is...” Rey struggled to describe him to Jess. Not wanting to give too much of her feelings away or embarrass herself, she settled with, “he makes me happy.” 

 

Rey looked away from her friend as if she was ashamed of the situation. Jess came up and wrapped her arms around Rey with her stick still in her hand. 

 

“Rey, I don’t need an explanation of why you feel what you do for this guy, and I sure as hell am not trying to make you feel ashamed of it. I just wanted you to be honest with me. I am so happy that you’re happy!” 

 

Rey felt Jess give her an extra squeeze before letting go. Just as they joined the group again, they heard the frantic strumming of a guitar and loud grito come from the edge of the beach. Poe and the boys started whooping as they made their way onto the sand. Making sure their entrance was grand and boisterous as ever. The boys ran down onto the beach. Snap and Mitaka headed straight for the kiddie goal with a bag of balls, drawing lines in the sand while Poe, Ben, and Finn all headed straight for Rey and Jess.

 

Rey walked up and wrapped an arm around Rose’s shoulder as Finn came and embraced them both in a group hug. While they were still embraced, Ben snuck behind Rey and grabbed her behind her knees, twisting her and tossing her over his shoulder. 

 

“Ben! What did I say?” Rey yelled at Ben, unable to keep her giggles under control. Her attempt to act angry about this failed epically, leaving her to actually enjoy all this extra attention Ben was giving her so readily. Ben walked them off to the side of the mini field they set up and plopped her down in the sand next to her stick, tossing his to the side. 

 

“Must you do that every time?” Rey asked unable to wipe the bright smile off her face. 

 

“Yes I must,” Ben replied, “you’re the small to my tall.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes at him,  grabbed her stick and jogged over to where everyone was gathered and deciding the teams. 

 

***

 

Instead of boys versus girls like they had done for most of the weekend, they decided to play together. The teams were split into Connix, Rose, Finn, Rey and Ben against Poe, Jess, Snap, Tallie, and Mitaka. 

 

This 5 on 5 was just for pure fun. Paige would sub in for both teams need be, but she also kept score in the sand. 

 

The teams fell into sync with each other immediately, each player working together as if this was a regular thing for them all. Ben and Rey assisted each other frequently, as did Rose and Finn, while Poe and Jessika made their defense immediately tough and near impenetrable. 

 

Nobody really cared about the score. Everyone was just happy to have some fun and end this tournament weekend right. A dose of beach lacrosse did just that. 

 

As the sun got lower and the sky faded into orange and pinks, it got harder and harder to see the ball. A rogue pass from Connix landed the ball in the rising tide. 

 

“I think it’s time to call it,” Poe said, suggesting they grab some food from the food trucks lining the street before getting a fire started. Everyone agreed and Rey started to jog over to get the ball from the tide when Ben sprinted up trying to get it first. 

 

“Oh no you don’t,” Rey yelled before chasing after the ball that flung forward from Ben’s stick. They laughed as they chased and fought trying to get the ball, splashing each other in the process. When Rey finally scooped it up, Ben came up from behind her and picked her up bridal style into his arms. Even with her stick still in hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He spun them around in the knee deep swell, fake dropping her once to make her hold onto his neck tighter. 

 

This was the most light-hearted and playful she’d ever seen Ben, wondering what had changed in him over the course of the weekend. After a few minutes, the playful energy fizzled out and Ben set Rey back down on her feet. Her hands were still tied behind his neck and both players still had their sticks in hand. 

 

Ben’s hands settled on Rey’s hips. He looked down into her hazel eyes and noticed how they kept flitting down to his lips. In that moment he didn’t care about his teammates or hers. He didn’t care about any beachgoers still lingering near the shore or any eyes that may have been on him. He only cared about Rey. His shining ray of light that he could not let go of and had in his arms.

 

Rey began to lean up to Ben, stepping up on her tiptoes, praying he would start leaning down. The space between them closed and Ben softly placed a kiss to Rey’s lips, surprised that she immediately deepened it and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.

 

His lips felt soft and moved just right with Rey’s, as if they were made for her. She gently licked at the seam of his mouth and he let her in. 

 

Ben dropped his stick and brought his hands up and tangled in her hair. Just as he started to sink into the feel of the kiss and Rey’s lips on his, he heard cheering coming from behind them. He separated from Rey with a hard sigh and turned to look at the cheers coming from the food trucks and their teammates.

 

Rey blushed and hid her face in Ben’s chest. He heard her chuckle and shake her head as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. With a full smile on his face, Ben placed his chin on Rey’s head, vowing to not let go.

 

***

 

The night had cooled drastically, the sun finally setting on the horizon, changing the reflection off the ocean from a deep magenta to dark blue. The boys worked on starting the fire, while the girls gathered the sticks and tossed them in the van, then grabbed the blankets they brought for the tournament. Poe sat down next to Jess and grabbed his guitar, beginning to strum random notes before settling into a calming rhythm. 

 

Rey had settled into Ben’s lap her back flush to his chest with his arms wrapped around her waist. She gazed into the flickering fire, listening to Poe play acoustic guitar. Ben whispered into Rey’s ear as Poe began to gently sing in Spanish.

 

“This is a song from Yavin. Poe doesn’t talk about it much, but he lost his mother at a young age. The ring he wears around his neck was hers.” Ben said, letting Rey observe the ring dangling on a chain from Poe’s neck. Rey realized he must have put it back on now that the tournament was over. 

 

“This is a love song his mother actually wrote before she died. It’s a Spanish lullaby. I’ve never heard him play it on guitar, just hum it when we’ve roomed together for tournaments.”

 

Poe softly sang the gentle lyrics of the Yavin lullaby.

 

_ “Lo que más quiero en este mundo, eso eres _

_ Mi pensamiento más profundo también eres _

_ Tan sólo dime lo que hago, aquí me tienes.” _

 

Rey settled deeper into Ben’s chest and sighed, “it’s so beautiful,” she mumbled, mostly to herself but still loud enough to include Ben, “I wonder if its translation is equally beautiful.”

 

Ben surprised her when he began translating the verse Poe had just sung. 

 

_ “You are what I want most in this world.  _

_ You are also my ever present thought.  _

_ Just tell me what you need and I’ll do it for I am yours.”  _

 

Rey turned in Ben’s lap to look at him. The first thing she noticed was how softly he was looking at her. In that moment, Ben was  unable to hold back any shred of emotion he may have felt for her. 

 

Rey turned back in his lap quickly, but not before Ben saw the red form across her freckled cheeks. Rey’s cheeks instantly heated from the intimate gaze she had just shared with Ben after he uttered the surprisingly relevant translation of this lullaby. 

 

“Spanish lessons when I was 6 years old,” Ben whispered, explaining his bilingual status to Rey.

 

“Figures,” she responded, chuckling at his explanation. 

 

She settled back against his chest, noticing him give her a soft squeeze around her waist.  Rey hummed, her eyes shut, and head rested on Ben’s shoulder. Everyone seemed at peace. 

 

Rose was sitting next to Finn with her head resting on his shoulder with his arm wrapped around her. Paige was laying on one of the blankets looking up at the stars while talking to Tallie and Connix. And for once Jessica looked completely at ease sitting in silence next to Snap and Mitaka. 

 

Ben placed a kiss on Rey’s cheek. For the first time, in a long time, he felt whole, no longer feeling like he was missing a piece of his heart. This girl was making him fall hard. And though they’d have to figure things out, he knew if it was for Rey, it’d all be worth it. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Isn’t it a little soon for me to officially be meeting your parents?” Rey asked over the FaceTime message Ben and her had started after dinner.  
> “Rey, you’ve already met my parents, so how could it be too soon? They already know you and, not to mention, adore you,” Ben said in a calm and easy tone, clearly trying to calm Rey’s nerves.  
> “Okay,” Rey admitted, “but this is different! It’s like the official meeting of the parents as the girlfriend. We haven’t even been exclusive for a week.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my phenomenal betas, Robyn and Katty! I appreciate you both so much!

 

  


* * *

 

It had only been a few days that Rey had been home from the Coruscant tournament when she received a call from Leia. She had been away from her phone helping Maz make lunch when Leia called and left a message. 

 

Leia insisted on having Rey over to the house now that Ben and her were an item. She wouldn’t take no for an answer and wanted Rey to call her back as soon as possible so they could pick a day. 

 

Talking to Ben that night, Rey had a million things going through her head. 

 

“Isn’t it a little soon for me to officially be meeting your parents?” Rey asked over the FaceTime message Ben and her had started after dinner. 

 

“Rey, you’ve already met my parents, so how could it be too soon? They already know you and, not to mention, adore you,” Ben said in a calm and easy tone, clearly trying to calm Rey’s nerves. 

 

“Okay,” Rey admitted, “but this is different! It’s like the official meeting of the parents as the girlfriend. We haven’t even been exclusive for a week.” 

 

“Rey,” Ben said with a sigh. He couldn’t believe he had to explain this to her. She knew his parents so well, yet because of this expectation as the girlfriend, she was letting the anxiety cloud her judgement and special insight.

 

“My parents have this crazy understanding of everything. It’s like a sixth sense. They just know things. And they know, well at least my mom knows, that you aren’t just  _ any  _ girlfriend. She’s seen the way I look at you. I’ve never looked at anyone that way.”

 

Rey looked away from the camera, feeling her cheeks heat with a blush. She could never get over the way Ben made her feel. All he had to do was talk to her and be honest with her and she could feel herself falling deeper. 

 

After her conversation with Ben, Rey felt her nerves settle a bit. She knew she was getting worked up for something that was ridiculous.  She knew Han and Leia almost as if they were her second family,  _ obviously not well enough to know they had a son who would end up being her boyfriend, but that’s besides the point _ . They would not see her any different as their son’s girlfriend as they would see her in the classroom. 

 

***

 

Han came to pick Rey up at 3:30 on Saturday, Leia had been adamant on Rey not going out of her way to drive. Rey was almost an hour away from where they lived, yet Leia wouldn’t take no for an answer and Rey would never think to argue with Leia about anything. 

 

Rey walked out front and locked the door behind her as the Corellian YT pickup truck pulled into her driveway. She nervously fidgeted as she waited for Han to unlock the door for her, needing to reach over to the passenger side to do so. 

 

Han greeted her with a charming smile as always, this time Rey noticing how much Ben looked like his father. Rugged but handsome with his distinct jawline and prominent nose. Rey could tell most of his facial features came from his father, including the lips Rey couldn’t get out of her head since Monday morning when they shared several kisses at the hotel before departing with their teams to head home. 

 

Rey was grateful Ben didn’t return to Imperial yet and chose to stay with his parents for a few days. This allowed her a little more time before having to deal with the four hour drive to get to him and the countless sessions on FaceTime that would rack up the data on her phone bill because their wifi sucked. 

 

Rey opened the door the rest of the way and looked around the pickup truck, “What a piece of junk” she said, wondering why Han would keep such an old and cruddy truck. 

 

“Hey I know you know cars missy, but you could walk to dinner if you’d like. Don’t make me do it because I will, and then Ben will kill me for doing that to his new girlfriend so soon.”

 

Rey smiled at this and with a chuckle settled for the beat up pickup truck.

 

“The garbage will do.” 

 

A few minutes passed by as they got on the freeway and picked up speed in the rickety truck. 

 

The silence was comfortable as Rey looked out the window into the forest that lined the highway. 

 

They pulled into a neighborhood that made Rey smile. The homes were beautiful and Rey could just imagine Ben growing up here, riding his bike down the street and playing with his dad when he was home in the backyard. 

 

A wave of sorrow washed over Rey as she thought how she would’ve loved to grow up in a neighborhood like this, maybe next door to Ben. Feeling like this is how the traditional family should live and how happy a childhood it could be. But somehow neither one of them got that. Ben was sent off to boarding school at such a key time of his life, and Rey lived in a neighborhood nothing like this and one she wouldn’t wish on anybody. 

 

Her gloomy thoughts went away as suddenly as they had come on once she saw Ben standing in the front yard. Practically flinging off her seatbelt, she burst out of the truck door and toward Ben, not even

concerned about either man getting the door for her. 

 

She ran up the yard and jumped into Ben’s arms, her arms tightly hanging on to him as he supported the weight of her with his foot back. Any other guy and Rey would’ve ate shit, knocking them both onto their asses. But with Ben, he was as sturdy as a tree she’d be happy to climb. Rey had no worries that he’d hold onto her tight. 

 

***

  
“Would you like a tour of the house?” Ben asked Rey before dinner. 

 

As beautiful as it was, Rey thought the house was quite large, especially for a professor’s salary. She learned though that Leia inherited a large sum of money from her parents’ death, both of them being well known and beloved politicians in Alderaan. 

 

The bottom floor included a standard kitchen, living room, and dining room. They finished the tour of the first floor when Ben turned to Rey.

 

“I need to introduce you to my favorite person in the world.”

 

Rey immediately felt jealousy coursing through her veins. This has to be an old girlfriend or someone that Ben used to be keen with when he lived in this neighborhood. Even though Rey didn’t know him back then, Rey could not imagine Ben with anyone else, and the idea actually made her sick to her stomach. 

 

They rounded the corner after coming up the stairs and Ben stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking into a small library and reading nook that was covered wall-to-wall with books and a small chair and table in the center. 

 

Sitting on the wood floor was a fat grey cat with amber yellow eyes. Rey looked down at him, surprised by this creature looking up so intently at her and Ben.

 

“Rey, this is Niko,” Ben introduced the cat. 

 

The blood suddenly rushed out of Rey’s face as she immediately felt like an idiot for getting so jealous and making the assumption about Ben’s favorite  _ person _ . Realizing that Ben was ten when he left home, so the cat makes perfect sense to fill that category. 

 

Rey bent down and extended her hand out toward Niko. He got up and came to Rey’s hand and started brushing his body up against it. 

 

“He’s a huge fucking cat,” Rey said as she looked up to Ben.

 

Ben kneeled down next to her and started to pet Niko up his back. “Yeah he is, but this guy was always there for me when I was younger. He’s the most loyal friend I ever had.” 

 

Rey could feel her heart swell with emotion. She turned to Ben and pressed a kiss on his cheek. Needing just a little bit more, Ben grabbed her chin and guided her lips to his. A hushed moan seemed to find it’s way out of Rey’s mouth against Ben’s lips. 

 

Rey pulled away when she felt Niko rubbing up against her knee. Rey snuggled the fat cat, and looked up at Ben. His brow was furrowed and he looked down at the cat and Rey.

 

“Traitor” Ben said seriously. Rey looked up at him with pouty eyes and puppy dog pout on her lip.

 

_ ‘Oh my fucking god, this woman’  _ Ben thought.

 

As if Rey read his mind, her pout broke into her beautiful smile. She quickly pecked a kiss on his lips and stood up, holding her hand out to him. Ben contemplated the hand for a second before grabbing it and picking himself up, quickly coming to a standing position and hovering over Rey.

 

He kept a hold of her hand and ushered her throughout the rest of the upstairs, casually overlooking his parents’ bedroom and the guest room. He stopped before entering the last bedroom upstairs. His bedroom, Rey assumed.

 

Ben let out a sigh before reaching for the door knob and turning it. When he opened it up,  Rey did not expect what was inside. The room was spotless and very simple. 

 

Rey stepped into the room, leaving Ben at the doorway. She walked around it looking at the pictures lined up on his dresser, as well as the lacrosse trophies that sat on his window sill. His nightstand had a small lamp on it that had a picture of a gorgeous young couple as well as one of his parents sitting on it. 

 

Rey picked up the picture of the young couple and turned back to Ben. 

 

“Who are these people?” She asked curiously, but remaining sensitive to the situation. 

 

“Those are my grandparents, Anakin and Padme.”

 

“She absolutely gorgeous, Ben.” Rey said, admiring Padme’s beauty without envy.

 

“Yeah, they died before I was born. Actually, they died just  _ after  _ my mother and uncle were born. My godfather, Ben Kenobi, actually said I had a lot in common with Anakin, a lot of his mannerisms, and when I began playing lacrosse, it became even more evident that I was his grandson.” 

 

Rey placed the picture frame back down and looked around the room. Realizing that this scene looked all too familiar.  _ Why personalize something that you’ll just be sent away from?  _

 

She did the same thing growing up in the foster care system. Always worried that she’d be moved onto another family. She never made her room her own, nor did the family encourage her to do so. Rey noticed Ben’s clothes neatly stacked in his suitcase still from the tournament. Nothing hung in the closet, and nothing spread out around the room; he was protecting himself for when it was time to leave. 

 

Rey walked over to Ben, still in the doorway, and wrapped her arms around his broad torso. Placing her chin to his chest and just looking up at him. For once she didn’t need to say anything, she knew that Ben understood her, and she him. He leaned down to place his lips against hers. 

 

Ben broke their kiss with a groan when he heard his mother call up the stairs for dinner. 

 

“I thought I skipped the cockblocking when I moved out,” Ben said without thinking about Rey standing there still wrapped in his arms.

 

Ben caught himself too late. The words slipping out of his mouth without him having a second to reach back and stop them. He looked down at Rey with a frightened look on his face and her eyes looking up at him wide with one cocked eyebrow. Obviously she just heard what Ben said. 

 

‘ _ Fucking idiot’  _ Ben reprimanded himself.

 

Before he could even apologize to Rey, she just slipped out of his arms and turned to walk down the stairs. He recognized that smirk on her face. It was similar to the one she made after they first met. On the lacrosse field. After she whooped on his ass. 

 

He followed after her shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose, wondering how he could be so stupid for letting those words slip out.

 

***

 

Rey really wasn’t upset with the cockblock comment. She knew that Ben was not that kind of person and she wasn’t concerned about being a “hump and dump”. If Ben intended on doing that he would’ve made his move at the tournament and used it as the reason for them never to see each other again.Yet, she chose to remain quiet on the subject and see if Ben moved past it. 

 

Halfway through dinner she realized he was still fixating on it and she needed to get him off that metaphorical ledge. Han did most of the talking throughout the meal, but Leia had decided it was now her turn to include the embarrassing mother stories of the evening selected specifically to get Ben to turn 50 shades of red and relieve the tension off Rey. 

 

“So, Ben was two when his Uncle Lando was in town on business...”

 

“Oh no, mom. You are not telling this story.”

 

“Yes she is,” exclaimed Rey, “I want to hear this story! I have heard so little from your childhood.”

 

“Yea, Rey, but, but- ” Ben was stammering, doing anything he could to stop his mother “Mom, of all the stories, why this one?”

 

“Because I’m the mother and I can do what I want, Ben. Now hush.”

 

Ben huffed in defeat, praying that this story would be over soon. 

 

“So,” Leia resumed, “Lando was in town on business, but Ben had no idea, and he  _ loves  _ his uncle Lando. So we had just finished his bath when all of a sudden Ben hears his voice. I have never seen a child move faster or be filled with so much light. He literally hops out of the towel I am drying him off in and bursts through the door buck naked yelling for his ‘ _ Unca Wanwo’,  _ and Lando was so happy to see his  _ little buddy.” _

 

Rey was sitting there with her hands covering her mouth and an infinity of ‘awws’ escaping her lips, looking over at Ben like he was the most precious creature in the world. 

 

Ben put his elbows on the table and clawed both hands through his hair. Rey smiled at him and decided that she’d finally seen him struggle enough. Slipping off her flat under the table, she ran her foot up his calf and placed her hand on his knee. Getting the reaction she wanted, Ben unclenching and turning his attention to a very different topic, she asked if they be could be excused.

 

“Thank you so much for the stories, they are for sure unforgettable.” Rey said with a smile as Ben grabbed her hand and lead her out of the dining room. 

 

He lead her back up to his room, stopping just before the doorway.

 

“There’s one place I haven’t shown you,” Ben said, stepping into his room.

 

“This is your room, Ben. I’m pretty sure you showed me this already.”

 

He dropped her hand and walked over to the window, opening it and stepping his long leg through it, crawling onto the roof outside. Rey followed, walking up to the window. Ben extended his hand out to her. She placed her hand in his palm, stepping her leg through and ducking her head out into the night air. 

 

The street lights lit the streets and Rey gave a small gasp once she was outside. It was beautiful. The ambiance created by the dimly lit homes and the sounds of crickets outside. It created an instantly calming and welcome environment. 

 

Ben hadn’t let go of Rey’s hand as they sat there on the roof. It was now resting in his lap as he looked around the neighborhood from above. 

 

“This is where I always came to think,” Ben started to explain to Rey. She knew this place was very special to him. 

 

“What does a 10 year old have to think about?” Rey asked politely.

 

“Well when my parents would argue,  _ often _ , this was a getaway. When my uncle Luke would come over and talk about boarding school, I escaped the reality to come up here. It was like my mountain top. I just always thought clearer up here and nobody ever bothered me.”

 

Rey just looked at him with soft eyes. She scooted over to him, hugged onto his bicep and rested her head on his shoulder. 

 

“Thank you for sharing your mountain top with me,” Rey said so softly Ben almost missed it. 

 

He rested his head on the top of hers and they just sat there. Minutes passed when Rey finally felt the need to speak.

 

“You know that cockblock comment didn’t bother me right?” She asked with a giggle.

 

Ben just looked down at her, getting lost in her hazel eyes. He leaned down to her and placed a soft kiss on her cool lips. Instinctively, Rey’s hand came up and her fingers weaved into his curls at the nape of his neck deepening the kiss. His tongue grazed her bottom lip, begging for an invitation. She opened up and his tongue glided along with hers dancing in the passion.

 

Ben’s hand held on at Rey’s waist, clutching her closer to his body beginning to intertwine their legs. Little moans escaped both of them and Rey wasn’t able to help herself when Ben’s hand grazed up the length of her thigh, stopping at the curve of her peachy butt. Both of them fighting for breath but not willing to end this kiss, they continued to get lost in each other’s touch. 

 

Rey’s mind finally separated her lips from Ben’s when she felt her hips start to roll against his, desperately seeking friction for her throbbing core. She inhaled a deep, shaky breath and looked into Ben’s near-black eyes, desperately holding onto the intimacy of the moment. 

 

Ben was heavily breathing when he gathered enough composure to form a sentence, “I should get you home.”

 

Rey breathed out the only response her brain could form.

 

“Yeah” 

 

Rey agreed but she still had other plans in mind, her eyes unable to keep off of Ben’s swollen lips.

 

_ Next time _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you also to Robyn for letting make her fabulous fat cat apart of my story :) Niko is now my favorite cat!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey deal with the struggle of a long-distance relationship through constant phone calls, text messages, and FaceTime sessions. Rey also gets some very exciting news from our much beloved Space Mom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my fabulous betas, Roybn and Katty!
> 
> This chapter was inspired by the song (Kissed you) Good night by Gloriana

* * *

It was just after midnight when Ben decided to drive Rey home. The drive back to Rey’s house was quiet at first, both of them trying to calm themselves from the heat of the moment on the roof. Rey shifted toward Ben in the car with the hopes that a conversation may keep her distracted long enough until she got home. 

 

“So you’re headed back to Imperial tomorrow,” Rey said with a downward inflection in her voice. She noticed it right away, but didn’t realize she was upset about it until now. 

 

“Yeah, I am.” Ben said, grabbing her hand that was resting in her lap, “I guess we should talk about that, shouldn’t we?”

 

“I didn’t think it’d bother me, you know? We just started dating and we don’t even really know what this is. Yet, I’m getting a sinking feeling in my stomach, the same one I get when I think about my parents. Which is ridiculous! How could I lose something that I don’t even have.” Rey started to babble which was her way of defending herself when she felt her guard slipping.  

 

“Rey, you’re not losing me. I am not leaving you.” Ben said, glancing over at her frequently so he could know she was hearing him, “Yes, I am leaving to go back to school, but we are going to work this out. We’ll text, we’ll call, we’ll FaceTime. Hell, if all technology fails us, I’ll get out my old pens and write you letters in calligraphy.”

 

They pulled up to Rey’s house and she finally looked up at Ben.  She wanted this to work so badly, her insides ached knowing she was going to separate from him once she had to get out of the car. She exhaled a shaky breath and Ben rested his hand on her cheek.

 

“Everything is going to be fine,” Ben said, trying to remain hopeful for her, “goodnight, Rey.”

 

Rey hesitated. A little stunned that that was it.  _ Did he just say goodnight? Oh shit he did. Okay Rey, that’s your cue to get out of the car. _

 

“Goodnight Ben,” Rey said with a forced smile. 

 

She stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her without glancing back at Ben. Instead, she grabbed her keys out of her crossbody and went straight to her front door. As soon as she was in the house she stood by the window and turned off her porch light. She watched Ben’s car from the window, racking her brain. 

 

_ ‘What went wrong? Just goodnight? Something must be wrong. But what did I do? He should’ve walked me to my door. Kissed me... Pushed me up against the wall,’   _ Rey thought, mentally whispering that last part.

 

_ ‘Please don’t go Ben, please don’t go, _ ’ Rey closed her eyes and found herself praying to whoever would listen to her. 

 

Little did she know, Ben was kicking himself in his 2017 Toyota Tie-Silencer.

 

“Fucking idiot!” Ben reprimanded himself as he saw Rey turn off her porch light, “ _ Goodnight Rey _ ??? Are you fucking kidding me? Walk her to her door, give her a goodnight kiss, push her up against the wall and show her that she’s worth fighting for!”

 

Suddenly Ben was filled with courage. He turned off his car and ran through the yard back to her front door.    
  
_ Rey’s heart began to flutter as she saw Ben from the front window of her house. He turned off his car and headed for the porch. _   
  
Ben’s palms were sweaty as he raised his knuckles to rap against the door. Yet, before he could knock, the door opened.   
  
_ Rey was standing in the doorway and then stepped back out into the night air. Ben was looking down on her with those deep brown eyes as she looked up to him with her beautiful hazel ones. _

 

He firmly cradled her head and made his lips find hers. This kiss was not like any of their others so far. Typically Ben is the one to give a soft kiss and Rey initiates more, but tonight Ben knew that this wasn’t a time to be gentle, but to be passionate. 

 

Ben’s hands worked their way down Rey’s face to her neck, slowly drifting further and further until they reached her hips. Once they did, Ben started to guide her backwards, pushing her up against the wall of her house. Rey’s hands were tangled in Ben’s hair and her tongue gliding along his. 

 

Their lips engulfed one another in a dance of lust and want. Rey had to pull away and catch her breath, whimpering softly as their lips parted. She looked up at Ben, curious what changed but not daring to ask him. 

 

He exhaled heavily and rested his forehead against hers, their noses touching and nudging at each other gently. Rey continued to search in his eyes for answers about that kiss.

 

“Goodnight, Rey.” Ben said, pushing himself away from her body and off the wall with a smirk on his face. 

 

Rey, now weak in the knees, just followed him with her eyes. Still plastered to the wall and unsure if she’ll ever be able to move. 

 

“Goodnight,” She said with a shaky breath.

 

_ Oh. My. God. _

 

***

The following two weeks were filled with constant text messaging, phone calls, and FaceTime sessions. Rey and Ben had figured out a system to their madness and were working with it, but nothing compared to them actually be in each other’s company. 

 

What didn’t help was that their practice schedules were opposite to each other. Takodana practiced in the morning and Imperial in the evening, which left them both feeling undeniably alone at a crucial point of the day; however, they never acted like the other wasn’t on the other side. Ben always texted Rey goodnight when he was done with practice and Rey always texted him good morning before heading off to practice for the day. 

 

It wasn’t perfect, but it was working for them. Rey often took selfies and sent them over to Ben, intentionally being imperfect - no makeup, hair in a messy bun, acne treatments or face masks - she knew they always made him smile because she was being her  _ real  _ self.

 

They managed to slip in a FaceTime one night before Ben had to sneak off to practice. He found a seat in the hallway outside the locker room, hoping no one would see him. Not that it mattered, everyone knew his routine now and knew if he wasn’t at practice then he was most likely talking to Rey. 

 

“How’s practice going? Did the guys finally get that drill down that you’ve been practicing?” Rey asked.

 

“No we pretty much still look like fumbling idiots, and between Dameron and Hux’s bickering between each run of it, I don’t know if we’ll ever get it.”

 

“Damn,” Rey responded, “And what does Luke do when those two start?” 

 

“I wouldn’t know,” Ben said with a grumble, “he hasn’t been at practice all week. He says he is working on something and has had me lead the practices the whole time.” 

 

“Oh bummer, babe. What do you think it is though? Wouldn’t he include you and Hux since you’re the captains?”

 

“Typically you would think so. But he’s treating it like it’s some big surprise. I don’t know what he’s up to, but it’s probably some god awful conditioning camp in Tatooine where we’ll just sweat our minds out and not learn any new techniques.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes. The boys were always such babies. Whether it was this drill that they just could not execute, or complaining about conditioning or the amount of traveling Luke made them do to better their skills, they never seemed to be able to get their shit together when they were just practicing to practice. 

 

Curious what was going through her sassy little head, Ben tapped on the screen to get her attention. 

 

“Earth to Rey. Sweetheart, hello?” 

 

Rey snapped out of her daze. 

 

“Sorry, just trying to comprehend how a group of such muscle heads can be such girls when it comes to the whininess and drama,” She said with a sexy ass smirk on her face.

 

Ben smirked as he looked back at Rey on the screen of his phone,  _ God she’s amazing. _

 

“Yeah, well maybe you guys will have to come down here and show them how it’s done, teach them a lesson.”

 

“What a great idea!” Rey said with a smile.

 

Ben was distracted by his favorite bright smile as Finn came up and punched him in the arm.

 

“Are you talking to Rey  _ again,  _ man?” Finn said in a mocking tone, “Hey Peanut! This guy misses you so much! And so do I! Tell Rose I said hi!” 

 

Rey started laughing as Finn was on and off the phone quickly. Her heart sank knowing she’d have to end the call soon to let Ben go to practice. 

 

“Well I guess I should let you go,” she said softly, trying to hide the sound of despair creeping from her heart. 

 

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later. Rey, I..” Ben stopped himself before a certain phrase slipped from his lips, “I hope you sleep well.” 

 

“You too,” She responded with a soft smile on her lips. 

 

The call disconnected and Rey held her phone up to her chest.

 

_ Bye _

 

***

 

Rey had started spending more time at the Solo Organa house now that she knew she was welcome. With Ben back at Imperial, she found herself in need of real,  _ in-person _ human conversation. So when she rang the doorbell and found Luke answering the door, she was more than surprised to see his face. 

 

“So this is where you have been,” she said before Luke even had the chance to say hello. Her finger pointed at him with an awestruck look on her face. 

 

“I take it you’ve been talking with my nephew. Should’ve known Ben would rat me out, but at least he hasn’t figured out that I am here and not there. Please, come in.” 

 

“Rey!” Leia’s raspy soft voice came from the direction of the living room, “I am so happy you’re here! This is actually perfect timing!” 

 

“Perfect timing for what, Leia?  What’s going on?” 

 

“Sweetie, Luke and I have come up with the best idea!” Leia said excitedly, “We are going to put on a co-ed clinic! It’ll be for 5 to 18 year olds and we are going to have you guys coach it!” 

 

“Us guys being us girls? Leia, good luck getting boys to sign up for a clinic hosted by all girls.”

 

“No, no silly! You girls  _ and  _ the boys from Imperial! I am thinking that you and Ben could teach the little ones like the five to eight year olds, Finn and Rose could take the nine to twelve year olds, and Jessica and Poe could take the teens.”

 

Rey immediately began to glow and smiled her toothy grin at the idea of Ben coming back to Takodana.

 

“Leia, Luke, I love that idea! It’ll be so much fun! I love the idea of coaching little laxers”

 

“Good, and we think it could probably be in a month or so,” Luke said, finally chiming in at the moment of his sister’s silence, “This way we’ll have time to make pinnies, and coaching shirts and get the fields scheduled.”

 

Leia had her eyes focused on Rey, noticing how excited she was at the idea. Leia knew she was a natural leader and she also knew how much Rey missed her son. 

 

She had picked up subtle hints in conversations with Rey and Han, and she could tell this long distance thing was harder on Rey than she let on. She wanted to do this for them. She knew they belonged  _ together _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lax = Lacrosse


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot emphasize how extraordinary my betas, Robyn and Katty, are. They helped me so much this chapter!

* * *

 

Leia wanted Rey to break the news to Ben about the co-ed clinic. She figured he’d be more excited to hear it coming from his adorable girlfriend than his doting mother.

 

Rey took the opportunity and ran with it, though she had no intention of telling him over the phone, by text, or Facetime session. She wanted to tell Ben in person and she was giddy at the idea of seeing her boyfriend. 

 

She decided she’d head out in the morning after breakfast; it’d put her there just after lunch and she’d leave after having dinner with Ben. 

 

One thing she did hope was that Ben was happy about this surprise. Knowing from experience, Rey was hesitant because surprises were not always well received by some people, especially when it involved estranged family. She hesitated after opening her car door. 

 

_ ‘But he should at least be happy to see me, right?’ _

 

_ ‘Right,’  _ she answered herself firmly as she got into her car. 

 

The four hour drive seemed to fly by. With only one or two stops for bathroom breaks and a big bag of Chicago mix in the passenger seat, Rey had finally made it to Ben’s. 

 

She walked up to the door of his apartment. The building had the entrances on the outside and many separate buildings as opposed to one large one. She noticed a small,enclosed patio with a couple of chairs and a few  _ US Lacrosse Magazines  _ sitting on top of the small table. She knew the magazine well. It came monthly to anyone with a US Lacrosse membership, which you had to have to legally play the sport.

 

She knocked on the door, expecting a surprised Ben to come and answer it, ringing the doorbell after a few silent moments passed. 

 

_ ‘Of course he’s not home, perfect!’ _

 

There was a small patch of grass just outside his apartment where Rey chose to sit down. It was in view of the parking lot, so she’d be able to see him pull up. She grabbed out her phone and shot a quick text to Ben, acting casual as she asked what he was up to, hoping it’d give her a clue as to how long she’d be waiting. 

>  
> 
> -Hey babe, whatcha up to?

 

She was relieved to see bubbles pop up almost immediately after she sent the message.

>  
> 
> -Just leaving the gym. Figured I might as well get something in since MIA Luke cancelled practice tonight.
> 
>  

Rey smiled to herself, realizing Leia must’ve told him to do so after Rey told her that she was going out to see Ben that day. Ben still didn’t have a clue what was going on. 

 

> -Way to be productive

 

She shot back the quick text, hoping it would pause the conversation until he got home. 

 

Footsteps approached Rey as she scrolled through her phone, replying to a quick message from Rose and listening to  _ Simple _ by Florida Georgia Line. Rey removed the headphones from her ears as she looked up to the figure before her. 

 

“Hi there,” Poe Dameron said, looking down at Rey before sitting down next to her on the grass.

 

“Poe! You live here too?” Rey questioned, honestly kind of surprised to see the tan, curly haired lacrosse player at Ben’s apartment complex.

 

“Yep! Me, Finn, General Hugs and a few of the other players all live here with your rugged boytoy,” Poe responded, “this complex houses most of Imperial’s hockey, lacrosse, and rugby players, along with some upperclassmen. 

 

“Wow, that’s a lot of burly jocks in close proximity.” Rey said, imagining the testosterone that surges through here during the actual seasons, all of them being very close together, and ignoring the ‘boytoy’ comment. 

 

“So could you not get enough at the tournament?” 

 

Rey was thrown by the comment, not expecting nor really understanding it. She looked over at Poe, who spoke again before giving her a chance to answer.

 

“How big is his dick? I bet, it’s huge. He’s got that kind of energy.”

 

Rey sat there in a stunned silence, staring blankly at Poe. Flustered beyond question and not sure what to say at Poe’s forward assumptions or questions. She remembered Poe being clueless at the tournament but didn’t realize there could be another level. 

 

Poe started to babble more about Ben, something about the way he walks, but Rey interrupted him before her head exploded.

 

“Oh my god, Poe! Shut. Up.” She enunciated the last two words.

 

Poe looked at her with a confused look. Once again clueless to his actions.

 

Rey gathered her thoughts and found the will to speak again. 

 

“You think I slept with Ben at the tournament?”

 

“You didn’t?”

 

“I didn’t. Therefore I have no idea what size his dick is, and I’m really not comfortable with you asking me that.”

 

Rey wondered why Poe had a sudden interest in her boyfriend’s dick. Poe had always come off as a bit of a playboy. She had heard the stories of the women he hooked up with during tournaments. She saw now that he wasn’t just attracted to women. He was attracted to men as well. 

 

“Wait, you’re bi aren’t you?” Rey asked

 

“You are correct.” Poe winked.

 

“You are attracted to the person not the gender. I get that.”

 

“So you mean to tell me you haven’t climbed that tall, dark, and handsome tree?”

 

Oh my god!” Rey laughed out loud. 

 

She started to walk away from Poe as she turned over her shoulder, “I’m not talking to you about this.” 

 

“Don’t worry Rey, I’m not trying to steal your man. I got my eyes set on a certain ginger.”

 

“Is that really your way of flirting with Hux? Calling him General Hugs?”

 

Poe began to stand up with a seductive smile on his face. 

 

“I like to call it, pre-foreplay.”

 

Rey’s jaw dropped to the floor, getting a mental image that she’d never be able to scrub out of her mind. 

 

Luckily Ben pulled up shortly after Poe walked away, helping Rey clear that image out of her head. She smiled as she looked for Ben’s expression but instead got distracted by her boyfriend’s gym wear. He was wearing all black with a short sleeve hooded shirt over a black compression long sleeve, and black adidas sweatpants. Her smile grew when she noticed a black headband holding his sweaty locks out of his face. 

 

Ben definitely looked surprised to see Rey. He dropped his bag as he stepped out of his car and walked over to her, patting his sweaty neck with a towel. He wanted to hug her, but chose against that. She looked gorgeous in her denim dress, hair half up half down, with her high tops on. She was the perfect mix of feminine and athletic, and this dress highlighted her athletic body perfectly. 

 

As always Rey also had very little makeup on. A feature of hers that Ben loved. 

 

_ She’s truly a natural beauty. _

 

Ben never understood or found the caked on makeup look to be attractive. And while Rey found herself to be plain, Ben would readily fight her on that and always see her as drop dead beautiful.

 

As Ben got closer, Rey could feel her cheeks heating up. She was blushing profusely and trying to hide her body’s reaction to her glistening boyfriend. Ben found this amusing and had a smug look grace his face while looking down at Rey. 

 

_ ‘Damn he’s so smug, but look at him! He knows the effect he has on you! Just why does he have to have so many damn layers on???’ _ She whined in her head. She was very very attracted to him right now and knew she was making a fool of herself ogling Ben’s rippling muscles. 

 

“Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?” Ben asked with a very surprised, yet overjoyed tone in his voice.

 

“Well I wanted to see you, and I didn’t have anything going on today, so here I am!” Rey said with her toothy smile growing larger every second.

 

“Oh god,” Rey’s expression changed abruptly to one of worry, “Is this a bad time, do you already have plans since your practice got cancelled?”

 

“No, no!” Ben exclaimed, “Today is great! It was just totally unexpected.”

 

“Well that would be the point of a surprise, Benny,” Rey said, smirking at him.

 

He shoved her playfully and grabbed her hand, walking over and picking up his bag before leading her to his apartment. When Ben opened the door, Rey was lost for words. 

 

The beautiful loft apartment was pristine. It was sleek and modern, yet had a cozy feel, a  _ Ben  _ feel. The layout was completely open concept, Rey had a view of absolutely everything from the doorway. His kitchen sat on the lower level, his bedroom on the upper. The kitchen was gorgeous with sleek black cabinets and appliances and a impressive butcher block fixed to the island with breakfast bar seating. 

 

Rey chuckled goofily, “You, you live here?  _ Fuck!”   _ Rey said as she flopped onto the dark grey leather sofa and watched Ben walk into the kitchen to retrieve a water from the fridge, offering her one. Rey shook her head, she had plenty on the drive over there not wanting to admit her need to stop and pee multiple times.

 

Ben walked back over to her, leaned down and put his hands on the back of the couch, towering over Rey. He leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss before standing back up, offering her his hand. 

 

“Come on, I’ll show you upstairs.”

 

***

 

Rey sat down on Ben’s  _ large _ bed as he stripped off both of his shirts. Her eyes went wide as Ben just stood there in front of her. His chest was broad and muscled, bare to her for the first time, his biceps were the same exposed strong ones that had held her those many times, but what made Rey’s throat run dry was Ben’s abs. He was not a swimmer or baseball player so he wasn’t chiseled or anything, but her Ben was thick and muscled. He wasn’t even flexing and she could count his abdominals. 

 

Rey’s chin had unconsciously dropped open and her heart started to race, her breathing heavy. She felt a little like Agent Carter when Captain America first went through his transformation, immediately wanting to touch the man in front of her to make sure this was real.

 

_ ‘Holy shit... Compose yourself Rey’  _ she scolded herself for reacting in such a way. Knowing Ben was so much more than muscles, but she couldn’t help but stare after him, hoping to get another peek. 

 

“You stink, go get in the shower,” Rey feigned disgust so Ben would stop looking at her with that intense gaze, and smug-ass smile for the second time today.

 

Just as Ben was about to step into the bathroom, he winked at Rey and dropped his sweatpants, allowing her to catch a glimpse of his ass. 

 

Rey scoffed and yelled at him, “you’re such a fucking tease!”

 

Once Ben was in the shower, Rey went over to the large bookcase and grabbed a book to distract herself from the hormones pulsing through her body.

 

She sat back on his bed sitting cross-legged with the book in her lap. After a few minutes of reading she heard the shower turn off and Ben walked out wrapped in a towel. 

 

He stepped out of the bathroom and saw Rey reading on his bed, the first thought thinking how adorable she was and how enamored he was with her. 

 

She looked up and so the soft look in his eyes, wondering what could be going through his mind at that moment. 

 

“What are you reading,” Ben asked curiously as Rey held up the book so he could see the cover,  _ For the Love of Life  _ by Anakin Skywalker. The cover had the same couple on the front of it that sat on Ben’s nightstand at his parent’s home and a picture of a male lacrosse player, presumably Anakin.

 

“You didn’t tell me that your grandfather wrote a book.” Rey said, implying a question as well.

 

“Yeah, well it was his last work before passing away. Padme had died during childbirth and Anakin through himself into writing that book and died shortly after it was published from unknown causes. I personally think that’s a load of shit and he died of a broken heart. If you read the entire book, his life was lacrosse and Padme, his only friend Ben Kenobi, my godfather and your grandfather.”

 

Rey had wondered if Ben’s godfather was the same Ben Kenobi as her grandfather,  _ What are the odds that there is more than one Ben Kenobi,  _ she thought to herself,  _ it’s not exactly a common name.  _

Rey continued to read the book as Ben changed, taking peeks from her peripherals every few moments. Ben changed locker room style this time, trying not to overly tease her once again, and slipped his boxers on while the towel was still wrapped around his waist before also slipping into jeans and a t-shirt.

 

He sat down next to her and she closed the book. Intertwining her fingers with his and resting her head on his shoulder as they laid on his pillows. They could lay there forever, enjoying their time just being together  _ in person _ . 

 

Rey finally remembered the true nature of her trip and sat up, not dropping Ben’s hand. 

 

“So I have news,” Rey said, Ben simply responded by sitting up and raising his eyebrows, allowing her to go on.

 

“Your mom is part of the reason that Luke has been out of reach. He’s been in Takodana. They’ve been planning a co-ed clinic for 5 to 18 year olds and we are going to coach it. You, me, Finn, Rose, Poe and Jess, and the rest of our teams can help out too. It’s gonna be in like a month.”

 

“Seriously, I get to spend an entire weekend with my girl, enjoying the sport I love and having fun while coaching little ones this  _ fucking awesome _ game? My mom is a genius!” 

 

“Luke was involved too, Ben.”

 

“Yeah, yeah” Ben said waving off his uncle and kissing his girlfriend excitedly. He couldn’t wait for this clinic now.

* * *

[@Reyl-Hoe tumblr](https://reyl-hoe.tumblr.com/post/177039015817/rey-just-realized-what-a-very-sweaty-kylo-does-to)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by the wonderful commission above, done by @Reyl-hoe on tumblr


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my betas, Robyn & Katty

* * *

 

The marimba ring of Ben’s phone startled him awake.

 

_ Who the hell is calling this early in the morning _

 

-Unknown number-

 

_ Nope, click _

 

Before his head hit the pillow, the marimba chimed again

 

-Unknown number-

 

_ Damn it, click _

 

Ben slid his phone under his pillow before trying to fall back asleep

 

The muffled marimba began to chime under Ben’s head.

 

“Fuck!”

 

_ Click _

 

“Who the fuck is this and what the  _ hell _ do you want at 6 o’clock in the morning?!” Ben yelled into the phone.

 

“Hey Ben, it’s Rose.”

 

Ben’s stomach dropped and he sat up in bed immediately. Why would Rose be calling him at 6 am for any other reason than something that had to do with Rey?

 

“Hey Rose, sorry, what’s up?” Ben asked seriously holding his breath, waiting for Rose to respond on the other side. 

 

“Have you heard from Rey at all? She missed practice and she never misses. She’s usually the first one here setting up the goals and practicing her shots.”

 

“No, no I haven’t heard from her yet today, she usually texts me good morning just before heading off to practice. But maybe she just needed to sleep in this morning,” Ben tried to keep his chill but was quickly losing it. 

 

Rey was dedicated to everything she did. If she was gonna skip practice then she would’ve told her other captains or tried to schedule for later in the day so she didn’t have to skip at all. 

 

“Yeah, maybe,” Rose said, sounding unconvinced, “Well if you hear from her then let me know, and if I see her then I’ll let you know.”

 

“Thanks Rose”

 

“Bye”

 

“Bye”

 

Ben hung up the phone and immediately tried to call Rey.

 

The call went straight to voicemail and Ben considered chucking his phone at the wall. He quickly talked himself out of this because it would be the only way to hear from Rey or Rose. 

 

He tried again, but this time left a voicemail when he reached her inbox. 

 

He shot a quick text as well, just for good measure.

 

-Good morning, beautiful

 

There was no way Ben was going to get back to sleep, so he got out of bed and tried to find something to do to clear his mind.

 

Four hours passed and it was radio silence from Rey’s end. Ben had talked to Rose and Jess multiple times that morning, even debated reaching out to Finn to see if he had heard from ‘Peanut’. But nothing was coming up. 

 

Rose and Jess couldn’t check Rey’s house because they were stuck in practice and conditioning, and then had a meeting with Leia and Luke about the clinic, another thing Rey  _ never  _ would have missed.  

 

Ben decided if he didn’t hear from her by the time he was out of the shower, he’d take action. He did not like not knowing where Rey was, and he felt like an idiot for not having her parent’s numbers in his phone. 

 

He looked at his phone as soon as he got out of the shower. 4 texts and 3 voicemails unanswered. Ben was now completely freaked out.

 

_ Rey, sweetheart, where are you? _

 

***

 

She had gotten up that morning and completely turned her phone off, requesting that her parents avoid any call from her friends. She intended on seeing no one that day. 

 

_ It’s just for today. Just today. _

 

She had already slept through practice and knew the girls were probably starting conditioning and then had that meeting with Luke and Leia, she felt awful about missing it, but she couldn’t be out today. The world just hurt on this day.

 

***

 

Ben pulled into Rey’s driveway after the 4 hour drive, actually pulling it off in three and a half with how fast he was going. He got out of the car and ran up to the door, rapping on it roughly. 

 

When the door opened, he saw the gentle face of Maz Kanata looking up at him. She waved him forward into the kitchen where Chewie was standing at the table, setting it. Ben waved to Chewie and looked at them both. He had a look in his eyes that Maz knew well,  _ same eyes in different people, these were the eyes of the man who was concerned for his beloved. _

 

Maz looked at him with her all knowing eyes and simply stated, “down the hall, last door on the left.”

 

Ben nodded his thank you and headed for Rey’s room. 

 

Rey jumped at the quick knock on her door. She was even more surprised when she heard Ben’s voice on the other side.

 

She got up from the unmade bed to open the door, her Rogue University sweatshirt- two sizes too big for her- fell back into place over her sleep shorts. When she opened the door, Ben drew her in for a big hug, his tense body immediately easing with Rey in his arms. He pecked kisses on the top of her head while his large hand tangled in her hair. 

 

Rey could feel the worry and concern in Ben’s muscles, it felt kind of like being embraced by a brick wall, so much tension that was slowly melting away. 

 

She grabbed his hands and led him back to her bed. It was covered with a large oversized blanket with her computer glowing in the darkened room.

 

She pushed him down on her pillows and sat in his lap with her back against his chest, him resting against the headboard. Rey pulled the computer into her lap and resumed the home movie she was watching. It was of her and another girl playing with blasters and lightsabers.

 

Ben’s arms wrapped around Rey while his head rested on her shoulder, “Who is that,” Ben asked curiously.

 

Rey sighed and felt her lip start to quiver.

 

“That’s Jyn, she was my sister.” 

 

Ben looked at her in awe. He swore Rey was an only child.

 

“Well, my foster sister,” Rey explained, “she was at Unkar’s with me after her Uncle Saw died, who was her legal guardian after her parents died. She moved out when she turned 18 and in with her fiance, Cassian Andor. They were going to get married shortly after that, but were killed suddenly.” 

 

Rey gasped in her breath as tears ran down her face, feeling Ben’s arms tighten around her. She struggled to get through the last few words.

 

“I’d never felt more alone.”

 

“You’re not alone”

 

Rey looked over her shoulder, placing a soft kiss Ben’s cheek. 

 

_ Neither are you. _

 

Ben kissed her temple almost as if it was a response to her thought. 

 

Rey swallowed hard as she watched a video of her and Cassian playing lacrosse by the shore. Cassian wore the same sweatshirt that Rey was wearing now. 

 

“Maz contacted me a week later.”

 

The time seemed to stop when Rey was in Ben’s arms. He just continued to hold her and rub circles on her arms, her waist, her shoulders. Placing kisses on her neck every few minutes just to remind her that he was there for her. 

 

A soft knock on the door broke their concentration on the screen, Maz peeked through

 

“Ben will you be joining us for dinner?”

 

Ben looked down at Rey, asking permission. He didn’t want to intrude on such a vulnerable day for Rey.

 

Rey answered for him, “yeah, he’ll be staying, mom.”

 

Maz smiled and left the door cracked as she walked away. 

 

“So does that mean it’s time for me to meet your parents?” Ben asked Rey jokingly. She chuckled as she rested her head back on his chest. 

 

***

 

Dinner was amazing with Maz and Chewie. Maz was probably the best cook that Ben had ever had the pleasure of eating with, and his Uncle Chewie, while usually a quiet fellow, told Rey some stories about Ben that brought a smile to her face again. 

 

Ben’s hand never left her knee during the meal. After being so nervous about her safety that morning, he felt like he just had to hold onto her.

 

They were helping Maz clear the table when Rey felt a hand on her lower back followed by lips on her ear.

 

“Please don’t scare me like that again. I didn’t know what happened to you, your teammates were worried about you. Heck even my dad debated stepping in and calling Chewie to start a search party.”

 

Rey looked up into his concerned eyes and nodded.

 

“Sorry about that. I tend to shut off when it comes to Jyn, and so few people know about her that it must be frightening for me to just drop off the grid for no reason. Nobody knows the anniversary except for my parents and Holdo. I promise that I’ll tell Jess and Rose about it when I see them next.”

 

“And Leia,” Ben insisted. Rey had missed the meeting with his mother and uncle, and his mother was worried about her as well, not nearly as much as her son because she did know about Rey’s life in Jakku and she knew that the city made her a strong woman, but she was worried. 

 

They finished cleaning up the kitchen and Maz insisted that Ben stay the night for his safety. She didn’t want him driving at this hour all the way back to Imperial. Ben agreed and they watched a few episodes of  _ Friends  _ with Maz and Chewie before excusing themselves to go and get ready for bed. 

 

It was just after they washed their faces and brushed their teeth that Ben started the head off to the guest room across from Rey’s room; however, something stopped him when Ben felt a delicate hand grab around his wrist. 

 

“Would you sleep with me tonight?” Rey asked shyly, looking down at the ground, “I don’t know how much I’ll be able to sleep, and I  _ really  _ don’t want to do it alone.” 

 

Ben lifted her chin to bring her gaze to his. 

 

“Of course”

 

As they walked back into Rey’s room, Ben slipped out of his jeans, leaving him in his boxers. He thought he’d keep his shirt on to make Rey more comfortable, but she had other plans. 

 

Rey turned around before getting into bed and stripped Ben of his shirt, tossing it on the floor with his jeans. When she got into bed, Ben laid down next to her, keep his arm up and allowing her to curl up in his side before he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close as they drifted off to sleep.

 

***

 

Rey woke up the next morning flush against Ben’s chest. As she stirred, Ben’s arms wrapped tightly around her before his hands drifted to her waist. 

 

Rey’s felt her breath catch in her chest as Ben gripped her hip bones and one of his hands started to slip beneath the band of her sleep shorts. Rey’s back arched as one of Ben’s fingers glided into her folds. Just as she let out a moan and her ass pushed into Ben’s hard-on, he sank a finger into her slick. 

 

Rey could feel her pleasure climbing. She grabbed her blanket to muffle her moans as she was pushed over the edge. The shutter through Rey’s body was shortly followed by a stillness in Ben’s. Rey turned in Ben’s arms to face him and placed a hand on his cheek. Ben’s finger slowly slipped out of her slick. 

 

“I’m so sorry Rey...” Ben said as he stared deep into her eyes with regret. 

 

“I’m not,” Rey responded, a softness in her eyes. 

 

“I don’t know what came over me. Something in my dream... you have to know I never would have done that without your consent if I was conscious, especially after your day yest-’’ 

 

“Wait,” Ben paused, stopping himself and looking at her seriously, “you’re not?”

 

“I’m not,” Rey said with a smile, running her hand down Ben’s chest to his abdomen and past his boxers. 

 

Ben tensed when Rey’s hand gripped onto his hard-on. 

 

She looked up at him with a cocked eyebrow. 

 

_ Hey big boy _

 

As if Ben could hear her, he suddenly lifted up and caged Rey between her pillows. Bringing his mouth to hers urgently, he kissed her and wrapped his tongue around hers. 

 

Rey’s hand, currently still wrapped around him, started working its way up and down his shaft, pausing every few strokes to circle the head of his cock. Ben’s hips picked up Rey’s rhythm and started thrusting into her, making sure there was plenty of pressure on her throbbing core. 

 

One of Ben’s hands found its way back down Rey’s body and dipped back into her sleep shorts, meeting a very wet Rey.

 

“Oh god, sweetheart, you’re so wet for me aren’t you,” Ben panted as he slipped his digit back into Rey and matched the rhythm of his thrusts and her stroking. 

 

Unable to find the words to answer him, Rey just shook her head and began moaning at the attention Ben was giving her clit, drawing circles with it as he pumped his fingers in her also.

 

Rey came first with his name on her lips and Ben shortly after, never realizing how much he loved the orgasmic squeeze around his fingers as he heard Rey moan his name. He slipped his finger out of her for the second time that morning, enjoying the feeling this time around. 

 

Rey thought she would surely pass out as she saw Ben suck his finger into his mouth with a moan, watching him taste her for the first time. The air felt like it was sucked out of her lungs.

 

Ben never thought he’d enjoy that taste, but it was so Rey and so delicious. He grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and began wiping himself off with it, his stomach and boxers soaked. Rey took the tissue from his hand and continued cleaning him up, following up with wiping herself. 

 

After she tossed the tissue into the trash, she weaved her hands into his raven locks, looking deeply into his dark brown, almost black, eyes. 

 

“How did I get so lucky?” Rey asked as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

 

“I ask myself that everyday,” Ben said as he cupped her face and wiped his thumb over the apple of her cheek to brush away the stray tear.

 

She kissed him softly before nestling back into his chest, fading back into a light sleep in the warmth of his arms.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Not a great sign to see your kids here before your coaches,” Rey said snarkily to Rose, clearly making a jab at the Imperial boys for not being there yet.
> 
> As if on cue, a loud honking came from the parking lot and two white vans pulled into the spots up front. Rey could see the few early parents, looking back and glaring at the boys, probably for scaring their kids and acting reckless.
> 
> Great, that’s just how they want to see the coaches acting, Rey rolled her eyes and went back to throwing with Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so to my beta, Robyn!

* * *

 

Jess, Rose, and Rey had just finished setting up the goals  around the two fields that Leia had reserved for the clinic. The day had finally come. A month of preparing the fields, pinnies, coaching shirts and scheduling made the time flash by in an instant. 

 

Rose and Rey were throwing while Jessika helped Amilyn and Leia, talking about the day’s strategy and how many kids they were expecting, as well as passing out pinnies to the kids arriving. More kids had signed up than expected, which was a great thing for the clinic and teams, making sure each team came out in full to help coach. 

 

The kids started to show up and check in. Rey glanced at her watch. 

 

“Not a great sign to see your kids here before your coaches,” Rey said snarkily to Rose, clearly making a jab at the Imperial boys for not being there yet. 

 

As if on cue, a loud honking came from the parking lot and two white vans pulled into the spots up front. Rey could see the few early parents, looking back and glaring at the boys, probably for scaring their kids and acting reckless. 

 

_ Great, that’s just how they want to see the coaches acting,  _ Rey rolled her eyes and went back to throwing with Rose. 

 

It had only been a couple weeks since she had seen Ben last. Ben had stayed through lunch the day after he slept over, making sure Rey was mentally stable before leaving her. He knew what it was like to be left while already feeling the intense loneliness and he was not about to do that to Rey. 

 

Rey looked toward the van and saw her dark haired, fair skinned man toss his lacrosse bag over his shoulder followed by an extra rage cage that Leia asked them to bring. She immediately cleared her dry throat and looked away, flushing at the obvious strength that Ben had and she had witnessed on multiple occasions when he tossed her over his shoulder like a ragdoll. 

 

As the boys made their way onto the field, they dropped their stuff by the coaches’ area. Ben walked over to Rey with an extra bounce in his step, despite the extra weight he was carrying, and pressed a kiss to her cheek before placing his gear and rage cage on the ground. She shook her head as her cheeks warmed a little extra from the blush creeping across her face. 

 

Ben had promised Leia that he would be on his best behavior around Rey. Afterall, he was working around 5 to 7 year olds, so they’d likely pick up on any behavior that wasn’t professional. 

 

Luke and Leia gathered the coaches and divided them into their age groups, giving them the plan for the day, including a morning session, lunch, and afternoon session. As the group conversed Ben stood behind Rey with his arms wrapped around her shoulders. He couldn’t believe they were all together again and he had his girl wrapped up in his arms on the lacrosse field. Just like when they met... well maybe not _just_ like when they met _,_ Ben chuckled internally at the thought. 

 

Ben and Rey would be off sharing a field with Finn and Rose while the teens took the separate field to themselves in order to do more elaborate drills. Amilyn helped make sure that the kids were catching and throwing with others in their groups, easily identifiable by the pinnies they wore.

 

Leia blew the whistle and gathered the kids, announcing the “youngling” laxers would be with Ben and Rey, “padawan” laxers would be with Finn and Rose, and the “jedi” laxers would be with Poe and Jess. Rey had fun with Luke coming up with the names for each of the groups, all focusing on a favorite popular movie franchise they shared, including the lightside and dark side logos on the reversible pinnies. 

 

As they split into their groups, Rey and Ben looked down on the kids when suddenly they heard a barking. A small golden retriever puppy had wandered over to their area and rested his head down on Rey’s stick, looking up at her with big puppy dog eyes. Rey melted as she went over to pet the puppy. One of their kids was so excited to show everyone his new puppy that his mom brought it out to the clinic. The puppy continued to stare at Rey and whined when she started to walk away, breaking Rey’s heart. The child took the puppy back to his mom and allowed Rey and Ben to start their lesson.

 

Rey was the first to speak, sitting down to get on their level. She encouraged each of them to share their names and a fun fact about themselves. One little boy stood out, Temiri, the one with the puppy. He was 6 and his fun fact was that he wanted to be as tall as Coach Ben when he grew up. Rey’s toothy smile shone bright at that moment, as Ben just looked at the kid in awe. 

 

He’d never been great with children. He was way too large for them, often scaring them, and not knowing what they were thinking or what they would do next kind of freaked him out. Although he was never bad with them either, it wasn’t like he disliked them or thought of them as a bother. He just never thought of himself as a kid person, at least until he saw them with Rey. 

 

As Rey ran the warm up lap with the younglings, she glowed. She was an inspiration to them and they all smiled as they stared up at her. Not surprising Ben at all, Rey was so gifted with them. She had that pure spirit that connected with them, despite missing much of her childhood due to terrible odds. As Ben finished setting up the extra rage cage, they finished their lap. 

 

The kids got into a circle around Rey and Ben and started following their stretching. One kid, Ezra raised his hand and asked if he could ask a question. Rey smiled and said of course.

 

“Are you and Coach Ben married, Coach Rey?”

 

Rey about burst into a fit of giggles at the innocent question. Ben responded to the kind and curious five year old’s question 

 

“No we’re not married.” 

 

Just as they finished stretching and went to grab water, Morgan, a seven year old, walked over to Ben and tugged on his shirt, wiggling her finger for him to lean down so she could tell him something. He bent down and she cupped her tiny hand around his ear.

 

“I think you should marry Coach Rey, she’s really really nice and pretty.” 

 

Rey looked over at them and noticed this interaction, arching her brow as Ben locked eyes with her. Ben winked at her as he smiled and continued listening to Morgan. He whispered something back into Morgan’s ear. 

 

“Maybe I will” 

 

She ran off giggling to tell her friend before Ben pointed her out, “Morgan, that’s our secret.” 

 

She nodded her head and Rey wondered what that was about, knowing whatever it was it was one of the most adorable things she’d seen. 

 

***

 

The day progressed smoothly. Ben never thought he’d be so okay with sharing Rey’s company, but found that he loved watching her work with the younglings. He had pushed down an odd feeling earlier that morning and just before lunch it started to lurk back into his chest.

 

Rey was working on ground balls with three of the little ones when Ben found himself watching her, unable to keep his eyes off her. This gorgeous and unexpected woman in his life took his breath away. She showed him a part of himself that he never really knew existed. He found himself wanting to be around her all the time, feeling her warm skin on his while he wrapped his body around her small frame. The thought of leaving her again after this weekend left an aching feeling in his chest.  _ Oh my god- _

 

That thought was interrupted by Temiri tapping Ben’s back with his lacrosse stick and looking up at him with knowing eyes. Ben looked back down at him and kneeled down to get at eye level with the child.

 

“You love her,” Temiri whispered, so soft that Ben nearly missed it over the sounds of the lacrosse field. Ben was struck by the 6 year old’s wise observation. He opened his mouth to argue with the child, but closed it immediately, knowing he couldn’t lie anymore to Temiri or himself.

 

“Yes, very much,” Ben said while nodding, nudging Temiri to grab his water before they broke for lunch.

 

_ Very much. _

 

***

 

Ben was quiet throughout the hour for lunch. He sat next to Rey who was laughing at the things Finn and Poe had to say about current events happening with them. Jess, Rose and Rey were totally engrossed in something to do with some shenanigans Poe had gotten himself into with the something... Ben wasn’t paying attention at all. Too caught up with his realization from this morning. How long had he felt this and was it  _ so  _ obvious that a child picked up on it before he actually had? 

 

_ Yes,  _ Ben answered to himself. At least it was obvious to him now that he was thinking about it. It was very clear. He started to fall for Rey the second he laid eyes on her in Coruscant. Just that glimpse of the female lacrosse player with the three buns, wrapped arms, and hazel eyes.

 

He glanced over at Rey when he noticed she had gotten quiet. She was looking at him with those gorgeous hazel eyes, not smiling but not sad, just a look of curiosity on her face wondering where Ben was and what he was thinking. 

 

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her in close to him, kissing her temple as she scrunched her nose as people started ‘awww’ing around them. They were adorable and their teammates loved to emphasize it.

 

The rest of the lunch, Ben was able to pay attention. Much to his surprise, Rose and Finn had also progressed in their relationship and gone on a few dates the last couple weeks. Finn driving down to Takodana each time, not wanting Rose to drive to Imperial. He told  Peanut that he also didn’t want the guys bothering Rose when she went up there, since he lived with Poe and Mitaka. 

 

Ben smiled for his teammate-  _ friend,  _ he corrected himself. Over the last couple weeks, Finn and him  _ had  _ become friends. Conversing often about Rey or the things they actually had in common. He learned that Finn was also an orphan like Rey, never knowing his parents and bouncing around the system. He luckily found a nice foster family that adopted him as a teenager.

 

The Storm’s were a kind-hearted family unable to have children, and too old to adopt a baby or child of their own. So when a distraught, teenage Finn came across their radar they didn’t even hesitate. Much like when Maz had come across Rey when she was older.

 

“Ben” 

 

Ben heard Rey as she snapped him out of his wandering thoughts. Her hand was extended out to him, signaling lunch was over and it was time for them to start their second half of the day. 

 

He gave a small smile and took her hand, letting her lead him back to their field and group of kids enthusiastically waiting to start back up.

 

***

 

The day rounded out with teaching the younglings stick tricks, and because Ben and Rey were college athletes, they had a few up their sleeves. The point of the stick tricks were to make the kids more comfortable with their sticks as well as increasing their hand-eye coordination. 

 

The kids were so excited as Ben displayed a trick and Rey duplicated it with ease. Ben wasn’t surprised at all, of course. He knew the woman he loved was ridiculously skilled at this sport and probably could outshine him most of the time, despite her lack of training compared to him. 

 

He smiled at her as she showed the kids a behind-the-back shot on goal and they erupted with cheering and chatter, hushing suddenly when Ben went to pick up the ball and duplicate it. As he rounded the goal, his eye caught on Rey watching him intently and what he could recognize as lust in her eyes. As he went to shoot the ball, the ball went toward the goal and Ben heard the unpleasant sound of the ricochet off the post followed by the kids roaring with laughter and Rey putting her hands up in the air victoriously. 

 

Leia dismissed the kids for the day and the coaches began cleaning up their fields, grabbing the lacrosse goals and and gathering cones that had been spread out through the course of the day with drills. 

 

Rey and Ben were the last ones on their field as their teams filled their cars or vans and headed out for the night. Ben had told Finn that he was gonna head home with Rey and be staying at his parents’ house during the clinic.

 

As soon as Rey finished folding down the last rage cage, Ben walked over to her with his stick in hand, wrapping his arms around her back and just looking down at her. Rey’s arms automatically crossed behind his neck and let him embrace her in that moment. They’d been around each other all day, yet spent so much time apart. Between fleeting glances, subtle hand brushes, and witty repartee, Rey’s need to be in her boyfriend’s arms grew and now she could stay like this forever. 

 

As Ben leaned down he rested his forehead on hers and was breathing heavily, as if he was nervous about something. It made Rey’s stomach drop and filled the air around them with tension. She looked up to look into his eyes, but they were closed, this made her anxiety increase.

 

“Ben, what’s going on?” Rey asked, concern in her voice as she mentally pleaded for him to look at her.

 

He opened his eyes, and her hazel eyes met with his deep brown ones.

 

“I love you,” Ben breathed out slowly, not realizing he had been holding his breath.

 

Rey’s mouth fell open, but no words came out. She just continued to look into his eyes as hers began to fill with unshed tears.

 

“I’m in love with you, Rey. I think I started to fall as soon as I saw you in Coruscant. And it took the words of a 6 and 7 year old today to make me realize that the heavy feeling I’ve felt in my chest the past two weeks came from not being around the one I love.”

 

The tears rolled down Rey’s cheeks as she inhaled deeply, steadying herself from this confession her boyfriend had put before her. Just as Ben started to regret his confession, worrying it had been too soon, Rey stepped onto her tiptoes and her lips found his. They were embracing and even with his stick still in his hand, Ben continued to kiss her. Not letting anything ruin this sweet moment they had  _ together.  _

 

“I love you” Rey uttered as she broke the kiss and placed a chaste kiss to his lips again, “I love you too,” she said as she smiled under his lips. Unable to hold her bright smile back now.

* * *

 

Amazing artwork from [MrsMancuspia](http://mrsmancuspia.tumblr.com/post/178268726209/giveaways-second-place-this-is-for-atchamberlin) on tumblr! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rage Cage is a brand of lacrosse goal that folds down and is portable


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW
> 
> Thanks to my awesome beta, Robyn!

* * *

 

Rey couldn’t stop smiling during dinner with  _ her  _ Ben. He had said he loved her and she couldn’t believe it. He was in love with her. As soon as he spoke those words, all worry fell away and she knew.  _ She knew  _ that she had found her person. She didn’t want to be with anyone else but Ben. And him saying those three little words only helped confirm it in her heart and her mind. 

 

Dinner seemed to drag on. Maz and Chewie had invited Luke, Leia, and Amilyn over for dinner, but all Rey wanted to do was be wrapped up in Ben’s arms. For the moment, a hand on her knee would have to suffice, along with stolen glances and smiles that would cause blush to fall on the other’s cheeks. 

 

Ben and Rey were helping clear and doing dishes when Maz came up behind Ben and elbowed him in his side. 

 

“You’re a guest. They don’t do dishes.”

 

Ben tried to argue, but knew he’d never win that fight. Maz called Chewie in from the porch to help finish dishes as everyone sat outside and conversed in the beautiful night air. 

 

Ben and Rey excused themselves from the group, Ben kissing his mom on the cheek and shaking Luke’s hand, saying he’d see them tomorrow and clearly implying he’d be staying at Rey’s tonight. Maz had no issue with it. She was simply happy her daughter had found her person, which was made  _ abundantly clear  _ during dinner when they couldn’t seem to keep their eyes off each other and Rey couldn’t wipe that toothy smile off her face. 

 

Rey closed the door to her bedroom when she turned around and found Ben had already made himself comfy on her bed with Netflix turned onto Friends. She came and sat in his lap, letting his arm wrap around her and her heart fill with joy as they sat there in a comfortable silence. 

 

Two episodes went by before Rey spoke up. As Ben ran his fingers through her hair, she was so at ease and comforted. She realized she wanted to know everything there could be about her Ben. 

 

“Ben,” she spoke softly. He looked down at her and his hand paused in her hair. 

 

“Tell me something no one else knows about you.”

 

He smiled at his sweet girl and thought about what he could share with her. His thoughts went to his hand still tangled in her hair. 

 

“When I was little, I used to braid my mother’s hair. We’d be doing this, she’d sit on the ground, I’d sit on the couch and she’d just let me run my fingers through her hair and braid it. I got so good at it that as I got older she’d even have me do it before she went off to work for the day.”

 

He heard a sweet ‘aww’ escape Rey’s lips, and he smiled, knowing he’d satisfied her curiosity. 

 

She turned around in his arms and he continued to cradle her head. Bringing it closer so his lips could meet hers. The kiss was soft and broke far too quickly, as Ben rested his head to Rey’s and whispered, “I love you.”

 

Rey responded with a deep kiss, one she knew Ben wouldn’t be able to pull away from and could only deepen further. His tongue grazed her lower lip, begging for entry. As always she welcomed him and their tongues glided together. His hands no longer tangled in her hair and found the smooth skin at her waist where her shirt had begun to ride up. His hand ran up the side of her body with the lightest touch, sending a shiver up her spine.

 

His large hand found her pert breast and he thumbed her nipple making it harden beneath him. He lifted Rey’s shirt enough that he could now see the rosy nipple he held. He couldn’t help himself and his lips wrapped around the hardened peak, his tongue rolling over it, making Rey’s breathing become shallow. He looked up at her and saw her biting her lip, desperate to remain quiet. 

 

“I want this off,” Ben commanded to Rey and she acted immediately, taking the shirt of swiftly over her head so he could give equal attention to her rosy bud. As he sucked her nipple into his mouth Rey’s breathing turned into whimpers. Unable to fight the urge that she’d controlled for weeks, Rey’s plea came out.

 

“Ben, I need you.”

 

Ben released her nipple with a pop and looked cautiously at Rey, making sure he has heard her right, “Are you sure?” 

 

“Yes,” Rey panted, “I need you,  _ now.” _

 

Ben noticed a quiver that had taken over Rey’s body, hearing it in her breath and feeling it beneath him. He could feel her body losing control under his hands, his mouth, and soon he’d feel her lose control around his cock. 

 

He stripped himself of his shirt and shorts, leaving himself fully bare for Rey to see. He crawled up her body, his hands grabbing at the waistband of her shorts and underwear, sliding them down at the same time slowly. Appreciating every inch of her until she was fully exposed to him.

 

“Fuck, Rey. You’re beautiful.”

 

“Right back at ya, handsome,”  she smirked with a wink. 

 

His hand grazed her body as he made his way back up her and found her heated core ready for him.

 

“You’ll be the death of me, woman,” he whispered softly to her as he gave himself a few quick strokes with the hand that was just at her moistened core.

 

Rey wrapped her arms around him, and brought him down for a heated kiss, her tongue immediately in his mouth, as if urging him to quit the soft stuff, and fuck her already.

 

He got the message and lined his cock up to her throbbing cunt, slowly easing himself in. When he was fully sheathed inside her, he looked at her face making sure she was in no pain. She just looked at him full of lust and love. A look that spurred him on. 

  
  


They found their rhythm and both edged close to release as they learned the other’s bodies and explored what pushed each other further. Ben’s hand found its way down to Rey’s clit; her legs began to shake and pussy began to pulsate around his cock. 

 

She almost screamed his name as she came, Ben’s hand catching it just in time to cover her mouth firmly continuing to pound into her until he came and his body went limp onto hers. 

 

Realizing he was smothering her and still cupping her mouth. He eased himself off of her and rolled to the side, slipping out of her gently as he caught his breath. Rey rolled over and rested her chin on his chest just looking at Ben. He had dozed off and she was just happy to look at him. Her person in her bed. He made her so happy  she’d never understand how she got so lucky. 

 

***

 

Rey woke to the smell of coffee and toasted bagel. When she opened her eyes, her boyfriend was walking back into the room, the light streaming in from her window almost making him look angelic. 

 

“Wow this is some serious treatment,” Rey muttered still in her sleepy haze. 

 

“I know what my girl likes,” Ben said as he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips to hug her good morning. 

 

As Rey sat up she caught the sheet, making sure to keep herself covered. She was very aware that she was fully naked as her boyfriend sat there in his sweatpants bearing his gorgeous chest.

 

As if reading her mind, Ben tugged on the sheet and peered down the front of her. 

 

“Hey!” Rey exclaimed, feigning  anger, but unable to hold back her smile. 

 

“What?” Ben asked innocently, “I like your tits. And your body. And your mind. Okay I just love the shit out of you, okay?” He said so surely before giving her a  _ very good  _ kiss _ ,  _ then leaving her abruptly to go change for the day. 

 

She smirked, shaking her head as she watched him walk toward the bathroom to change, getting a very good view of his rippling back and shoulder muscles that made her swoon. 

 

_ He’s gonna be the death of me. _

 

Once Ben had changed and was ready, he gave Rey some time to slip out of bed and shower. Once she did he came back and found she was brushing her hair by the window. 

 

Ben came up behind her and pushed her hair to the side, giving him access to duck in the spot right between the back of her ear and her neck, his lips skimming down to just above her collar bone. 

 

Rey was in heaven and couldn’t hide the moans escaping her lips. There was something about Ben playing with her neck and whispering sweet nothings to her that made her mind and legs turn to jello. 

 

She composed herself enough to get the question out she’d been wanting to ask since last night. 

 

“Ben, will you braid my hair?”

 

He smiled and nodded at her question, taking the brush from her hand and running it through her hair before his fingers did. 

 

Rey didn’t know why this felt so loving and affectionate, but she felt secure and safe in that moment with Ben’s fingers in her hair, saying the sweetest things into her ear, and just feeling loved. 

 

She decided something in that moment. This long distance thing wasn’t going to go on for much longer. 

 

***

 

Ben and Rey drove to the fields in a comfortable silence, Ben’s hand never leaving Rey’s hand over her knee. When they pulled up to the field and parked Finn and Rose were unloading their lacrosse bags from their cars. 

 

“Well don’t you both look like pure sunshine!” Finn said cheerily to the couple as they got out of Rey’s car.

 

_ Does he know, is it that obvious?  _ Rey thought, looking over at Ben with a panicked look on her face. 

 

“You’re adorable,” Ben said out loud as he kissed Rey on her nose, not ashamed to hide anything, but not admitting to anything either. That was between him and Rey. He was never about that locker room talk and he was never big on sharing those personal details of his life with anyone. 

 

Ben and Finn walked down to the fields to help set up the goals for the day. When Rey caught Rose by the arm. She needed an opinion and she needed it now. Her best friend was trapped.

“Rose. We did.”

 

“YOU DID _?”  _ Rose asked a bit too loud before ducking behind Rey’s car before anyone noticed they were hiding. 

 

“ _ And?”  _ She egged Rey on, begging for a little bit of details. 

 

“And,” Rey said hesitantly, “It was incredible.”

 

Rose squealed in a Jessika-style, and Rey had to plug her ears. 

 

“Okay, girl, seriously we might as well be having this conversation on the field if you’re gonna be so damn discreet about it,” Rey said in a sarcastic tone toward her over-zealous bestie. 

 

“Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but Reyrey this is amazing. So, you are glowing! Obviously since my boyfriend had no issue pointing that out as soon as possible, but why don’t you sound more excited? He was good, which basically just means he’s even more perfect. And now you’ve gotten past that awkward part. So what’s the deal?

 

Rey hesitated and bit her lip before responding to Rose, looking around her car to make sure no one was looking for them. 

 

“So this made me realize something kind of big.” Rey started to admit, pausing to read her friend’s expression which was completely curious.

 

“I don’t think I want to do the long distance thing anymore. I don’t want to be away from him. If he’s my person, and I truly think he is, then I think something needs to change because I don’t want to be apart from him. Rosie, I am dreading him leaving this weekend. Everytime he leaves it feels like something could go wrong. 

 

Rose took in everything that Rey was saying. Understandably, it was a lot to process. 

 

“Wait, I’m  _ not  _ your person???” Rose said with a straight face before cracking a goofy smile. 

Rey released the breath that she was holding and smiled back at Rose. 

 

“We can handle this,” Rose said confidently as she looped her arm through Rey’s before walking down to the field. 

 

The rest of the day went by even better than the first. The younglings listened to Ben and Rey, and even began to show some improvement in their stick skills already. The had done a few more drills that were more game-style and Ben and Rey showed them lots of shooting drills. 

 

The kids were really starting to rub off on Ben. He found Morgan was his favorite because he imagined that she is a lot what Rey would’ve been like as a child. Feisty and fearless when it came to the game, but sweet as can be the second she stepped off the field, even Temiri had moments where Ben could see he was afraid of her. 

 

It was with a heavy heart that Rey did their final cheer of the day and sent the kids home. She enjoyed coaching them so much and really was impressed by their skills at such a young age. She encouraged every single one of them to continue playing and get really good, and hoped to see them again soon at a clinic or at a game. Morgan promised Rey she would come to the game as long as Ben was there to explain it to her on the sidelines and cheer for Coach Rey. 

 

That comment made Rey smile. She hoped Ben would be at her games from now on too, even though that may be difficult with that damn distance...  _ just another reason for a change,  _ Rey thought to herself, making sure her inner monologue didn’t distract her from the kids leaving and waving goodbye to her. 

 

As soon as the last kid was off the field, Ben hefted Rey over his shoulder and smacked her ass.

 

“All right, I listened to Leia and behaved around the children, now I can actually spend some time with my beautiful girlfriend on the field.”

 

Rey just laughed, not even mad about Ben’s actions and actually finding she was beginning to like being tossed over his shoulder like a ragdoll.

 

He sat her down with the rest of the group and began to speak in his best captain voice. 

 

“Alright girls, let’s whip these boys into shape. We can’t get this drill down and from what your captain has told me, you may be the best ones to knock some sense into us.”

 

Rose, Jess, and Rey all looked at each other nodding, clearly liking the idea. 

 

“Let’s do it!”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta, Robyn for this ridiculous turnaround beta! She's amazing! Find her on here as, IF you don't already know her that is! Reylorobyn2011!

* * *

 

A shrill whistle broke up the argument that just started. Hux and Poe were going at it for the third time in five minutes and Rey had enough.

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Rey said, raising her voice enough to scare the boys speechless, but not quite enough to seem like she’d completely lost her shit. 

 

Poe and Hux stood there watching Rey with blank stares. Unable to process what just happened. Ben stood there with his arms crossed and a smug look on his face, obviously proud that his girl was the one in control of these two.

 

“You are two grown ass men arguing like a bunch of 5 year old girls. No wonder your team can’t get this drill because two major players on offense and defense would rather sit here and argue like an old married couple than actually get shit done!” 

 

Poe and Hux muttered unintelligibly to themselves, most likely saying something against Rey’s lecture of them. 

 

“Girls, take the field. Boys, sit the fuck down before you embarrass yourselves anymore.”

 

Rey gathered the girls and ran over the drill with them once. It seemed easy enough, even with the lines being different than the girls’ and the difference in movement and game play, but the girls had a point to make. 

 

Ben blew the whistle and the girls began running the drill, Connix passed the ball to Rey, Rey to Jess, Jess to Rose, and Rose back to Connix to get a shot on goal while defense was distracted by the fast pace. When the girls completed the drill two more times, they stopped and looked over to the boys who all looked shocked. 

 

The boys stood up and gathered around the girls. Suddenly each player was interested in finding their female counterpart and asking for advice on successfully completing this drill. Rey knew that they were finally taking it seriously when she saw Hux talking to Rose and asking as many questions as he could before it would be their turn. 

 

Rey turned to Ben and smiled.

 

“Ready?”

 

Ben blew the whistle. 

 

*** 

 

The boys had packed up their vans and were getting ready to head back to their hotels for the night before heading home the next day. Rey had told Ben that she was going to have some girl time with Jess before they met for dinner. Ben kissed her on the cheek and told her to dress nice, he’d be picking her up at 7. 

 

As Jess and Rey piled the stuff into her car and headed back to Rey’s house, Jess was bouncing out of her seat.

 

“So Rose told you, I’m assuming.”

 

“Told me what?” Jess asked innocently.

 

“Oh, right because Jess fidgets like this  _ all  _ the time, especially when she’s  _ not  _ just gotten dirt that makes her want to scream and beg for the dirty details,” Rey side-eyed her friend with a smirk on her lips. 

 

“OH MY GOD, fine you totally broke me!” Jess damn near shrieked, causing Rey to grip the steering wheel harder. 

 

“Yes, Rosie totally told me! She said you said he was incredible, which doesn’t surprise me at all, I mean have you seen his height, the man’s a tree. Or his  _ feet!?”  _

 

Jess was talking so fast that Rey was having a hard time keeping up, but she was able to figure out  _ exactly  _ what Jess was insinuating and blushed profusely because of it. 

 

“OH I KNEW IT! I  _ FUCKING _ KNEW IT!” Jess giggled with glee before casting a very serious look across her face. “Oh my god, Rey... Please tell me you were smart and will not be expecting in 9 months time.”

 

“Jess!” Rey exclaimed at her, “of course I did!”

 

“Did you use a condom?”

 

Rey focused on the road, “well, no.”

 

“Rey!” Jess yelled with an accusatory tone.

 

“Jess,” Rey said softly, knowing that if they kept this up, she’d have to pull the car over so that neither would get hurt as a result of their emotions, “I’m clean and I have an IUD. I talked about this with Ben  _ weeks  _ ago, he’s clean  _ with proof.  _ I will not be making you an ‘Aunt Jess’ anytime soon.”

 

“Oh thank god!” Jess sighed with relief, Rey looking over at her confusedly. 

“Oh it’s not like that Rey, I know you’re going to be an awesome mom, just do it when you’re ready. Don’t have a whoops baby.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes and chuckled at her best friend before dropping her off at her house. Jess gave her a side hug in the car and jumped out, grabbing her stick and lacrosse bag from the backseat. 

 

***

 

Ben picked up Rey at 7 like he had promised. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant yet messy bun and she wore very simple makeup. 

 

“Well don’t you clean up nice,” Rey said to Ben as she opened the door, Ben stood there in dark jeans and a shirt covered by a nice jacket. 

 

Ben stood at the door, jaw hanging slightly open as Rey stood before him.

 

“Ben?” Rey said softly, attempting to get him out of his trance, not realizing he was captivated by her. 

 

Ben simply stepped into the doorway and placed his hand at her lower back, pulling her flush to his body and in for a kiss. His tongue swept across her lower lip as she opened for him and wrapped her arms firmly around his waist. They didn’t separate until Chewie cleared his throat in which both were started and stepped apart embarrassed that they’d been caught. 

 

“Ready?” Ben offered his arm to Rey, as she looped hers through, placing her hand on his bicep. 

 

“Ready” Rey responded looking up at Ben as he continued to gaze down at her beauty, pressing a fleeting kiss to her lips before opening the tie fighter’s door for her.

 

They drove in a comfortable silence to the restaurant, Ben’s thumb rubbing circles over Rey’s knee throughout the drive.  _ This,  _ this is what he wanted and where he wanted to be. 

 

They pulled up to the restaurant and Rey looked at Ben skeptically.

 

“The cantina? You brought me to my mom’s bar for our fancy dinner?”

 

“All right little miss skeptic, chill. I haven’t even gotten you through the doors.”

 

Rey nodded, allowing Ben to continue with his plan. He led her to the back of the cantina to the stairwell that led to the roof. It had been a while since she had worked at the cantina, with school and lacrosse, she barely had time to leave the house or hang with her friends away from home. So, when Ben led her to the roof, she was shocked at what she found. 

 

He had decorated the rooftop with candles all aflicker. Rey’s hands covered her mouth as tears began to fill her eyes. 

 

“Ben,” Rey choked on her words as her voice broke, “this is so beautiful. I can’t, I don’t even know, this is just-” 

 

Rey’s tears cascaded down her cheeks as Ben came to embrace her. Ben just held Rey for a few moments before they started swaying, simply dancing and holding each other in the moment. 

 

“I can’t do this anymore, Ben”

 

Ben’s heart stopped in that moment, stomach dropping and body tensing up as he waited for Rey to elaborate on the bold phrase she just spoke.

 

“I can’t, I just can’t. Being away from you is too hard, sending you away is even harder.”

 

Ben kissed the crown of her head, his chest warming and relaxing at Rey’s confession. He was relieved that it was  _ that,  _ and not something else that she could have said. 

 

“You could transfer to Imperial” Ben said without a second thought, immediately regretting the words coming from his mouth. He knew that Rey would never transfer to Imperial, she’d expressed on numerous occasions her dislike for the women’s team and coaches, and with Ben graduating soon, there’d be no reason for her to stay. 

 

Rey pulled away from his chest, looking up at him awestruck.

 

“You know I can’t do that, Ben, and besides, you have less than a semester left and you know how I feel about those girls. There’s absolutely nothing drawing me there.”

 

“I know” Ben said as he pulled her back into his chest. Not knowing what to do was killing him,“Well, I have graduation to focus on and classes to pass before graduating and leading the team. You have a game against Imperial in a few weeks. The time will go by like nothing.  _ Then  _ we can make a decision.”

  
Rey nodded her head against his chest, ‘ _ Imperial: three weeks, I can do this, I can do this.’  _

* * *

 

__

[BoomDaFunk](http://boomdafunk.tumblr.com/)

_SageMcMae[Tumblr](https://wewantreylo.tumblr.com/),[ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SageMcMae/pseuds/SageMcMae)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you thank you to the amazing SageMcMae for this gorgeous piece of art she commissioned by the very talented BoomDaFunk on tumblr! It made my day! I am so blessed with my reylo friends that keep me up when I am down <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta, Robyn, who turned this around within a couple hours!

* * *

The girls were ushered to the locker room by a kind, yet overly talkative athletic director, Mr. Threepio. The man clearly wanted to make this day pleasant for the visiting team, but didn’t know how to make normal conversation. 

 

The girls began setting up in the locker room provided for their game against Imperial that day. It had been the fastest three weeks Rey had seen, yet day by day seemed to drag on. She was excited to be here. Excited to have her team show these Imperial snobs how real lacrosse is played and show Ben that Takodana was where Rey belonged.

 

Jessika and Rose  stepped out to walk the campus grounds and see if they could find Finn and Poe on campus. Rey was supposed to meet up with Ben before the game, but she wanted to make sure everything was ready before she got distracted by her tall, dark, and handsome boyfriend. 

 

Rey smiled to herself, ‘ _ how did I get so lucky?’  _

 

A knock at the door broke her away from her pleasant thoughts, leaving her to wonder who would be knocking on a visiting team’s locker room. 

 

As Rey opened the door, she was met by a tall, rather morbid looking creature. A bald-headed man riddled with scars and crevices in his face, his beady eyes sunken in, and looking heavily on her. He looked her once-over and she immediately knew who he was. 

 

Though never graced with a picture, the university’s dean and lacrosse team’s sponsor, Dr. James Snoke was well known through the academic and athletic community. The name connected to scandal and and potentially illegal measures to recruit athletes and scholars, but never caught in the act, this man was well-known for covering his tracks and placing blame on others if it meant keeping his position and rank.

 

Rey continued to stand there stunned. The man donning the golden track suit and Nikes continuing to loom over her like a shadow. 

 

“Let me in child” 

 

Though Rey had no intention of letting this despicable figure in, she found herself moving, unable to control her body in the moment. 

The man stepped in and crossed the locker room before turning his eyes back on Rey. 

 

“I’ve been watching you, young Rey. Your permanent record is unable to truly capture the ferocity of your academia and athletic ability. And your prospects venture truly beyond the lacrosse field and the university.”

 

Rey still hadn’t said a word, just watching the man with a firm grimace. 

 

“I suggest that you transfer to Imperial immediately, Rey.” 

 

The suggestion clearly more of a command, one that took Rey aback.

 

“I assure you that your tuition will be paid in full. That is, as long as you work under my watchful eye.”

 

Rey saw red and before she could get control herself, her hand was  up and in the motion to slap Snoke across the face. 

 

Before her hand even touched his cheek, Snoke caught her wrist, surprising Rey since, though this man was large, he seemed frail.

 

He placed his other hand on her cheek, “Still has that fiery spit of hope and for that you will regret turning down my offer.” 

  
  


He dropped his hand from Rey’s cheek and stormed out of the locker room, leaving Rey to collapse onto the concrete floor.  Reduced to her knees, Rey worked to catch her breath, feeling as if she had just been violated by this wretched man. 

  
  


Completely forgetting about her plans with Ben, Rey continued to get ready for the game later that day through a fog. Her mind wandering in many different directions.

 

An hour later she received a text from Ben.

 

B- hey, just ran into Jess and Rose! Why didn’t you tell me you were here??? Want to meet up before the game? I want to see you. 

 

Rey shut her phone off, not ready to confront him over what had happened earlier that morning with his dean.

 

Jessika and Rose got back to the locker room, grabbed their stuff, and changed before heading off to the field. 

 

“Hey girl did you hear from Ben? We ran into him on campus, he said he hadn’t heard from you,” Jess said, snapping Rey out of her stupor and back to reality. Rey dodged the question and started talking about strategy instead, still not ready to confront the idea of Ben or Snoke.

 

***

 

Rey, Rose, and Jessika arrived to the field to see Phasma’s team already warming up. The way they moved, they looked more like troops in their white and black uniforms. Phasma, standing in a grey jumpsuit with a black and red pinnie tossed over her shoulder, was speaking to the man who Rey spoke with earlier, Snoke. Her stomach dropped, Rey didn’t know why but she had a bad feeling about what they were conversing over.

 

Snoke had come up to Phasma, and Phasma greeted him, surprised but pleased by his presence at the game today. Snoke practically tossed the sentiment aside to spit the next order at Phasma, “I want this team to be destroyed, leave no survivors, especially number 7.”

 

Phasma nodded, and with a “yes sir,” Snoke dismissed himself and Phasma spat a command at her team to go into the next drill.

 

The boys made their way into the stands and sat front row. Rose and Jessika waved at Finn and Poe while they waited for their turn in the drill. 

 

Rey for the first time today sought out Ben and caught eyes with him from across the field. She could tell he was slightly worried, probably from her ignoring his texts this morning, but she needed to focus.  

 

Rey couldn’t let that nervous complexion and furrowed brow stay on Ben’s face, she flashed him a toothy smile before the whistle blew starting her round of the drill. When she was done, she glanced back over to him, to see that he had finally relaxed a bit. 

 

***

 

It was only 5 minutes into the 25-minute half and this game was being brutal on Takodana. The refs were calling the game as if they weren’t actually seeing it, Jess was given a yellow card for slashing even though her check had been completely clean, and Rose had been pushed down in what should have been called a charge. Rey requested Holdo to call a timeout, she couldn’t take this anymore. She couldn’t watch her team being picked off.

 

The girls were able to catch their breath and get a quick sip of water. 

Rey pointed out that this team doesn’t even care about scoring goals, they were tied with Takodana 2 to 2 and were just trying to snuff out the light of this team. 

 

Rey wouldn’t let that happen, knowing her team was far more skilled, and an actual team, “We will be the fire that burns the first order down” –  _ damn this team not only looked like an army but sounded like one _ \- their team’s mascot was this evil looking black astromech droid, at least the boy’s droid was orange and white and didn’t seem so devious. 

 

The rest of the half flew by as the girls took the offensive and took control of the game. They played clean and smart which all but forced the refs to call the remaining fouls on Imperial. 

 

After a quick halftime. Phasma looked over to Snoke in the stands and looked for a sign to delivery the heavy blows in this half. Snoke nodded, thinking it went unnoticed but Ben was watching intently. Getting a knot in his stomach, he knew something wasn’t right. 

 

The first blow was struck to Jessika’s back. Imperial’s number 8 midfielder, Bazine, had come up behind Jessika while she was guarding her and elbowed her hard in the back before catching a pass from Imperial’s goalie. This left Jessika with the wind knocked out of her and and hunched over before Holdo pulled her out of the game and tossed Connix in.

 

After several more minutes and 3 more goals by Takodana, the next blow was to Rose. Rose was going after a ground ball that had strayed from a pass between Connix and Rey. Bazine came up and aggressively started going after the ground ball, not only knocking Rose over face first, but running her over to get the ball, kicking her in the process, and knocking the ball out of bounds. 

 

Finn was losing his shit, “Empty  _ fucking  _ stick check, Ref! What are you blind? You want her to be covered in bruises and sent to the emergency room before you call that aggressive play, you blind fucker!” The ref gave a warning to Finn, it wouldn’t be the first time that a fan would get a yellow card because of the ref’s poor calls

 

The refs called it for Takodana, in hopes they wouldn’t get penalized for not calling the ridiculously rough play going on right in front of them. When the whistle blew, Rose immediately passed the ball to Rey on the fan who went in to take the shot, making it crisp, and decisive, as it went over the goalies off-handed shoulder. 

 

Ben couldn’t help but beam knowing that he had helped her perfect her shots on goal when they first met. 

 

The last five minutes of the game fell onto the score board and Rey couldn’t help but smile, knowing that Takodana had taken the lead from Imperial, and their win was imminent. 

 

After Rey’s goal, she gathered Connix, Jess, and Rose to talk their strategy for this last five minutes. Rey would peel off from the fan and allow the girls to move the ball around the goal without looking to score. This would burn the time and allow them to win as well as frustrate the other team. 

 

The plan was going beautifully up until the last two minutes.

Tallie, Connix, Jess, and Rose were moving the ball with the other members of their team around the fan while Rey peeled off and kept Bazine busy on the side. She was faking her out, acting like she was gonna cut to goal and score. 

 

Bazine had finally had enough though when Phasma yelled to Bazine signaling the final strike. While Rey stood in front of Bazine, Bazine grabbed onto one of Rey’s buns and pulled her flush to the ground. The buzzer blew ending the game, as Takodana ran to embrace their goalie; Ben and Holdo the only ones who noticed what had happened to Rey. 

 

Ben rushed the field as he saw Phasma ushering Bazine off and away from the angry Imperial boys starting to come after the girls and most likely would turn on Imperial’s coach and midfielder. Holdo held up her hand to Ben, indicating she would take care of the opposing coach, he should tend to Rey. 

 

The team was going through the final cheer and hand shake as Ben tended to Rey. She was still unconscious on the ground, simply groaning as he tried to rouse her. The team started to huddle around her and he told them to clear the space and head to the locker room. 

 

He picked up Rey and cradled her head in his hand as he carried her bridal style off the field. Tears welled in his eyes as fear began to take over him. 

 

“Stay with me, Rey. I got you sweetheart, just stay with me.”

***

 

Rey woke up back in the locker room with her teammates, coach, Leia, and her three favorite boys surrounding her. She was laying down on the bench with a neck brace on.

 

They clearly were worried she was more injured than she was, so before she sat up she undid the neck brace allowing her to catch her breath. Ben was the one to grab her hand and steady her with a hand on her lower back to a sitting position on the bench. Once she was sitting upright, he let go of her hand but kept his hand at her lower back. Everyone was waiting to see if she said anything.

 

“We won right?” 

 

The team chucked and felt a huge relief of stress that their captain was alright, and turned to start cooling down.

 

Holdo turned to Rey and set a hand on her knee  “Phasma and Bazine were summoned by the lacrosse board shortly after the game ended, Rey.  They both received red cards, and will be benched for the next three games of their season.” 

 

Rey nodded and with a small smile looked at the three still surrounding her. They deserved to know about her meeting with Snoke.

 

“You all should know, Snoke approached me this morning when we arrived at the locker room. He aggressively commanded that I transfer to Imperial and work and play under his ‘ _ watchful eye’.”  _ Rey directly quoted what the snake had implied the morning before continuing, “I declined and believe that there may be a connection to that and the hostility we received in this game, he said I would regret turning down his offer.”

 

Ben clenched his fist and Rey could see his jaw tightening as he sat next to her. She rested her hand on his knee in attempt to calm him down.

 

Holdo and Leia said they’d let the board know of this and see where it goes from there. They stepped out of the locker room, and summoned the boys to follow and let the girls cool down. 

 

Finn and Poe groaned but left willingly after high fiving Jess and Rose for their bad-assery during that game. Ben on the other hand seemed to be lost somewhere. 

 

Rey squeezed his knee where her hand was resting.

 

“I’ll talk to you when I am done changing.”

 

Ben, just staring at her, bent down and kissed Rey on the forehead before leaving the locker room.

 

The second the door closed after Ben left the locker room, Jessika squealed and turned around grabbing Rey by the shoulder.

 

Ben was waiting for Rey outside the locker room and embraced her tightly the moment she stepped out.

 

“Can’t breathe, Ben” she joked, but getting an immediate release from Ben as he cupped her cheek, afraid he’d hurt her more after what happened on the field. Rey felt like Ben’s eyes were bearing into her soul, his brown orbs melting all her pain away.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Rey inquired, her cheeks heating with blush under his stare.

 

“Move in with me” Ben said, never breaking his gaze from her gorgeous hazel eyes, still cupping her cheeks and holding her so close to him

 

Rey’s eyes grew wide, shocked by what she just heard.

 

“What?!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy update day! I really wanted to post before I went to Disneyland! Hope you guys enjoy!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, so sorry I haven't posted in a few weeks! I got stuck on this story, so I branched out and did a one shot (You are my Sunshine) and another multichapter (Sunday Mornin')! Check them out! I kinda love them! 
> 
> Also, thanks so much to my awesome beta Robyn who turned this chapter around in a few hours!

_ _

* * *

 

_ ‘Move in with me’  _

 

The four words that were stuck in Rey’s head and playing on repeat for a week. How had Ben thought this was logical? They lived four hours apart, neither was done with school yet, and how were they going to afford it? Rey couldn’t manage a job with her school and athletic schedule, and even if she could, it would take time away from Ben. 

 

Luckily, Ben’s schedule had been so busy this week, they barely had time to talk about it. This left Rey to analyze as many of her options as possible, as she would’ve requested anyways. It wasn’t until she got a surprising call that she was able to gain some peace of mind. 

 

She knocked on the door and was ushered in kindly by a familiar voice. Leia and Amilyn had called Rey and wanted to update her on the Imperial situation. 

 

“Good morning, Rey,” Leia greeted her with a hug as Coach Holdo sat behind the desk. 

 

“Good morning,” She said, mustering the most genuine smile she could. Rey wasn’t sure if Ben had told his mother about his proposition to Rey, but she certainly wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up if he had. 

 

“So, the lacrosse board has updated us on what went on this week with James Snoke and we thought you’d like to hear,” Coach Holdo began.

 

“As it turns out, Dr. Snoke did have  _ everything _ to do with the assault on you ladies. Not only was this not his first offense, but it was his last offense. As of yesterday, he’s officially been removed from Imperial University and is not permitted to teach, coach, or be employed in any academic or athletic setting again.”

 

Rey’s jaw hit the floor. Unable to process how quickly that was taken care of, she simple nodded to Coach Holdo’s testimony. 

 

“The league was simply waiting for enough evidence to be presented to them, so they could remove Snoke without further action from him. They’ve been waiting for this for years.”

 

Leia squeezed Rey’s hand in comfort, an action quite familiar to her by another Solo. 

 

“If you don’t have any other questions or concerns, Rey, then you’re free to go.”

 

“Thank you,” she nodded as she got up and headed for the door, Leia’s voice calling for her as she stepped out. 

 

“Rey, I wanted to talk to you as well; just as Leia,  _ not _ dean Organa.

 

‘ _ Here we go,’  _ Rey thought. 

 

“So I talked to Ben last week after the game and he told me about a proposal he made toward you,” she paused waiting to see if Rey would say anything. She didn’t. 

 

“Did you know now that Snoke has been removed that Ben is permitted to finish his final courses online?” Rey shook her head to Leia’s question, not sure where she was taking this conversation. 

 

“Leia, even if Ben could finish the remainder of his course back here and at home, there’s no way I could afford to move in with him. I am still in school and I don’t have a job nor do I have time for one,” Rey began to tear up as she spoke. There was no doubt in Leia’s mind that Rey wanted to accept the offer from Ben, but truly believed she couldn’t due to financial reasons. 

 

“Did Ben ever tell you about his grandfather; my father, Anakin?” 

 

Rey shook her head as she attempted to compose herself. As much as she hated to cry, the Solo’s had a knack for taking down her walls and allowing her the comfort to open up to her emotions. 

 

“Anakin was a wonderful man and very talented lacrosse player, but not a great father. After my mother died post-childbirth, he knew that Luke and I would never be able to have a decent life with him, so he split us up and gave Luke to his brother and me to the Organa’s. I was mad at him for so many years when I found out what he had done. But when I heard he died, I knew he never stopped supporting our family. Every penny he made, he saved for us. He wanted to provide for us financially what he couldn’t emotionally. When he died, we learned that he provided a fund to Ben.”

 

Rey knew where this was going, her eyes widened at what she believed Leia was about to propose. 

 

“Leia, no. No, I couldn’t ask Ben to use that toward me. I could never accept it. I could never accept him using his grandfather’s money to pay rent for me. No. No,” Rey spoke so fast she could hardly breathe. 

 

“Rey,” Leia smiled, knowing that Rey didn’t understand the true nature of the situation, “that money was for Ben to start his new life. You are a part of, if not a majority of that life. He loves you, sweetheart. He just wants to start his life with you, and the event last week with Snoke and Bazine only made him see that.”

 

Rey’s lip began to quiver, the situation sucking the air out of her lungs, leaving her head spinning. Leia embraced Rey in a hug and Rey’s tense body softened.

 

“Just call him, please.”

 

***

 

Rey didn’t call Ben. It took 2 hours in front of a goal and a wall to realize this needed to be done in person. So she showered, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed the 4 hours out to Ben, unannounced. 

 

The look of surprise and touch of worry on his face was enough to grace her face with a smile and wipe the worry from her mind. She kissed his cheek and snuck past his stunned stance at the door, placing herself strategically on the couch, ready to talk things through with him. 

 

Ben joined her on the couch, “you talked with my mother didn’t you?” 

 

“I did,” Rey said, unable to wipe the toothy smile off her face, still thinking of what Leia had to say about Ben wanting to start his future with Rey. Rey never thought anyone would want to start a future with her, and here she was looking at the man she loved, the one she’d been so lucky to have love her back, and all the fear that she had been feeling from the week prior faded away. 

 

“How much did she tell you?” Ben asked, skeptical about what to say and what  _ not  _ to say. 

 

“She told me about Anakin, and how he gifted you and your family money for the future and stuff.”

 

“And how do you feel about that?” Ben pushed.

 

Rey cocked her head to the side giving him a knowing look. 

 

Ben smiled and grabbed Rey’s hand, “Rey,  _ you  _ are my future. Us moving in together wouldn’t be a waste of Anakin’s money because it is going toward me starting the life I want. Starting my future family with this step is an investment. One I cannot wait to make with you.”

 

Her smile brightened and she wrapped her arms around his neck, a red flash catching her eye out of her peripheral vision. Rey broke the hug and grabbed the newspaper sitting on Ben’s coffee table with a house circled in red sharpie. She read the description below the picture of the charming house.

 

  * Quaint single family home with wrap around porch, perfect for new and growing family.



 

“Ben,” Rey said before hesitating as her eyes filled with unshed tears, “It’s perfect.”

 

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing that I put an offer on it.”

 

Rey physically gasped. She actually  _ fucking  _ gasped as she looked at her boyfriend, 100% shocked. She was shook,  _ ‘wow I finally understand the meaning of that phrase’.  _

 

“Ben Solo, you didn’t! How did you even know I’d agree?” Rey’s voice was getting louder by the second, adrenaline coursing through her veins at the idea of her and Ben soon owning a home. 

 

“In case you haven’t noticed, my mother can be very convincing.” 

 

Rey closed the gap between them, her lips meeting with Ben’s rapidly but then softening. She was starting a life with this man and she couldn’t be happier. Ben moved to deepen the kiss and laid Rey back onto the couch as he crawled onto her body, her legs wrapping around his hips. His tongue grazed her lip as she opened for him. Soft moans escaped from Rey, and the sounds only urged Ben on more, the sounds affecting him due-south. 

 

Just as Ben started to give Rey the friction she needed, a shrill marimba came from Ben’s phone. “Damnit!” he yelled as he broke the kiss, Rey whining from the separation. Usually Ben would have just silenced the phone and gone back to his previous engagement, but he recognized the number. 

 

“Hello,” he answered breathlessly, Rey barely able to hear the voice on the other side of the line. The voice mumbled, “okay, thank you so much,” Ben said before hanging up the phone. He closed the space between them trying to make up for lost time before Rey broke the kiss.

 

“Ben, who was that?” She said as she gripped his ebony locks, pulling him away from her skin. 

 

“Oh yeah, we got the house.” He said nonchalantly, but then broke into a smile.

 

“Oh my god, we got the house,” Rey exclaimed excitedly as her lips met Ben’s once again.

 

She giggled as Ben pounced on her, elated at the news and now able to focus on the task at hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue! Final chapter! Our cuties wrap up their lacrosse/college life and look toward the future...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first fic is over! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did! As always Robyn is a beta beast and so great!

* * *

 

“Rey, how is it that you have so little stuff?” Jess teased as they packed up Rey’s room and began loading it into the back of Poe’s pickup, the Dodge X-Wing fitting a majority of the clothes and belongings into the bed of the truck in one trip.

 

Rey averted her eyes as Jess continued to babble on about how if they were packing up her stuff it’d take a week, even with the four of them to help. No one understood the scavenger life. The life where Rey cherished the few items she had because so many were thrown away without care while she was in the hands of Plutt. The few childhood mementos she had left being a handmade doll, a picture of her with her grandparents taken the Christmas before they passed, a small flower pot that always had some sort of colorful flower growing in it, and Jyn and Cassian’s sweater and homemade videos.

 

Rose glanced at Rey during Jess’s rant, squeezing her hand as Rey looked off into space. She knew her best friend lived a humble life due to her upbringing. She also knew that Ben wouldn’t hesitate to spoil her now that they were moving in together which Rey would undoubtedly protest to.

 

Rey snapped out of her daze and looked over at Rose and smiled.

 

“Why don’t you let Ben know that we are just about done here,” Rose said as she grabbed the last box to take out to the truck.

 

Rey grabbed the phone out of her back pocket and shot a text to Ben.

 

 

> R: Just about done here. Heading over to the house! How goes it with the apartment packing?
> 
>  

Rey waiting patiently as 3 bubbles filled the screen, indicating Ben was already responding to her message.

 

 

> B: HELP ME
> 
> B: How did you convince me that packing up my place with Han, Luke, and Hux was a good idea??
> 
>  

Rey chuckled at her boyfriend’s strife. Truly, he’d made it clear that the only person he really wanted to pack with was her, and _maybe_ Finn to be an extra hand and muscle; however, he eventually admitted defeat when realizing that if they were going to get into the house by the weekend, they’d need to be gathering their stuff in separate groups with the help of multiple friends, and/or family.

 

She didn’t know how much if any work was getting done with that group, but she knew she wouldn’t allow Ben to suffer any longer. Rey knew those three all had their own special way of getting on Ben’s nerves, she couldn’t imagine how Ben was taking it all at once.

 

She decided to call him up before loading herself into Poe’s cramped pickup, her car already at the new house.

 

Just as she did, the rented Uhaul pulled into her driveway with Ben in the front seat.

 

Rey’s eyes widened in surprise as he got out of the truck and immediately embraced her.

 

“Hey, what are you doing here? How did you get the apartment packed up so fast?”

 

“Well, they may have driven me nuts, and it may be many months till I speak to any one of them again, but they got shit _done_ ,” Ben emphasized. “And that allowed me to get here in time to pick up my girl.”

 

Rey smiled up at him. This man never missed the opportunity to surprise her or take her breath away. She reached up on her toes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck snuggly.

 

“Ready to go home?” Rey said softly.

 

“I thought you’d never ask,” Ben answered before closing the gap again, kissing her soundly in her driveway.

 

***

 

Rey and Ben sat on their couch in their newly furnished home and Rey couldn’t help but smile. Sure it was nothing special, they ordered pizza in and turned on some cheesy Hallmark movie while Ben ordered his cap and gown on his laptop, but this was special to Rey. This was the beginning of her life. The house they’d turn into a home was a commitment she gave and promised to Ben and he to her.

 

Rey embraced those thoughts and leaned over to Ben, resting her head on his shoulder as he kissed her forehead. Rey lifted her head up slightly when she saw the page opened on Ben’s laptop.

 

“Ben…” she hesitated, still staring at the screen, “did you apply for the men’s head coaching job at Takodana?”

 

Ben smiled, before glancing at Rey, “yeah I did, I wanted to wait to tell you after I for sure got the job, but I’m just waiting for their call. Luke already got the assistant coach job, so we’ll see if he put in a good word for his _naughty nephew.”_

 

Rey looked at him, astonished. He was putting down roots in her hometown that she loved so much, _Gods she loved this man._ She put her hand on the side of his face, bringing his to her lips.

 

***

 

Rey caught an assist from one of the girls and went straight to the goal, dodging her defensive player and firing a shot in the corner over her goalie’s shoulder. It was amazing after almost three years of when she _perfected_ that shot, Rey still had it.

 

She had taken the head coaching job at Takodana that year when Holdo informed her that she was preparing to retire. Rey was ecstatic when Holdo offered her the job, saying that she couldn’t think of anyone more perfect. Jess had joined her a few weeks later as the assistant coach, and whenever Rose was in town she’d make her way to the practice field to give those players a run for their money.

 

Just as Rey was winding up for a shot to demonstrate to her attack players how to whip it past the goalie, she heard a whistle blowing behind her. She looked around to see Ben jogging over.

 

“Wh- What are you doing?” she looked at Ben utterly lost.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

 

Rey continued to look at her husband confusedly, “Um… coaching my team?” She answered, more like a question than an answer, not sure what Ben was trying to imply with his question.

 

“Well yes I can see that, but! You are also putting some very precious _cargo_ at risk.” Ben said as he placed his hand on Rey’s small baby bump once he got to her side.

 

His dark tungsten wedding band shone in the sun, an intense contrast to his alabaster skin as his hand remained on Rey’s belly before she pushed it away.

 

“I’m pregnant Ben, not fragile. Lacrosse will not break me, _nor the baby_. I know what I am doing, I had a great teacher.”

 

Ben closed the gap between them, embracing the feeling of her plush lips on his in the mid-morning sun. He was unable to help himself when it came to being overprotective of his girls. He wasn’t entirely sure their baby would be a girl, it was too soon to tell, but he just had a feeling and he knew she’d be exactly like Rey.

 

“Okay, okay” he said as he separated from his pregnant wife. He whispered into her ear as he lined her up for a shot, “then let it fly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of you that have read this, given it kudos, and/or commented on it! This was my first fic and I appreciate every one of you that took the time to read it!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! Kudos and comments welcome!!! Find me on tumblr: atchamberlin


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